But now, because of his weakened health and the harassment of mayavic forces, Baba decided to shift to Panchgani immediately. Bungalows were hired for the men and women, and separate accommodation was made for Baba to be in seclusion.
Maya was shamed! No sooner had Baba announced his new plan, than the dust storms subsided!
Observing the change of weather, the mandali requested that Baba continue his seclusion in Meherabad, but he did not agree and fixed the date of leaving for Panchgani. On 1 September, Baba stepped out of his seclusion to get ready to leave, and to see the women.
On the morning of Wednesday, 3 September 1941, Baba left Meherabad for Panchgani at 7:00 A.M. with the men and women mandali in Elizabeth's car and the Blue Bus. No one saw Baba entering the car. As soon as they arrived in Panchgani at 10:45 A.M., Baba went straight into his bungalow without being observed. Chatti Baba was kept in Baba's bungalow, and Baidul and Krishna continued to look after the mast. The men and women mandali, as usual, occupied separate houses.
Baidul, Kalemama, Krishna, Nilu, Vishnu and Venkoba Rao were with Baba in Panchgani. Bhabananda, Gustadji and Pleader had been sent to Mahabaleshwar to continue their seclusion under Baba's orders. Adi Jr., Murli and Padri were in Meherabad conducting a free medical dispensary, and the rest of the men — Chhagan, Pendu, Sailor, Sidhu and Jangle — had been given other duties. Kaka was in Bombay, but came to Panchgani for a few days at the beginning of September.
In Panchgani, Baba continued his inner work with Chatti Baba. On the 5th, the mast was found to be in a very ill-tempered mood. The next day, however, he was again his usual genial self, but he told Krishna to tell Baba to send him back to his home in South India.
Krishna informed Baba, who remarked, "His time is up. If he asks again I will send him, but all my plans will have to be changed."
When Baba was in seclusion at Meherabad during August 1941, some distorted reports appeared in the press regarding his meetings with Mahatma Gandhi in the early 1930s. Gandhi's English follower, Mirabehn, was reported to have told the author, Rom Landau: