From Miraj, Baba proceeded to Aravada Village on rough dirt roads, crossing a small intervening river by boat. There Baba communed with a Muslim saint named Wazir Baba, whom he had contacted before. They then left for Meherabad, arriving there on 23 January.
On Sunday, 1 February 1942, the Dadachanji family of Bombay came to Meherabad for a day. Naoroji's sons Homa and Dara's navjot ceremony was performed before Baba at this time. Baba repeated to Chanji's brother Aspandiar, what he had told the mandali the previous month:
Although this war has shown to people how futile and transitory money, wealth, and properties, are — being either [taken away or] destroyed by destructive forces of warfare, where life, as such, has practically no value — yet this lesson has to be convincingly taught and brought home to India. And for that India has to suffer most of all. India will be literally crushed between two pincer movements — from both sides — East as well as West. Then there will be internal troubles. Chaos all over, leading to a complete deadlock. It will be then that I will speak. The world will have to listen. You will see.
But don't worry. For the next four months, carry on as at present. Don't rush in for anything "new." Let things roll on automatically. Give no push, nor hold them back. Let it all happen naturally and force nothing. And whatever you do, I'll have my nazar on you.
Arnavaz and Nargis stayed at Meherabad with the women, and the others left.
Baba wanted to work in the vicinity of the Himalayas, so he sent Pappa and Savak Kotwal to find bungalows in Dehra Dun. With the help of Keki Nalavala, they arranged a fine two-story house. On 2 February 1942, Baba left Meherabad for Dehra Dun with the men and women mandali. They boarded a 10:00 P.M. train at the Ahmednagar station. All the Eastern and Western women were with Baba, including Arnavaz, Nargis and the servants. Of the mandali, only Baidul, Gustadji, Nilu, Vishnu, Krishna and Venkoba Rao accompanied him, while the fifteen or so remaining men mandali were ordered to stay in Meherabad.
The group reached Dehra Dun on the morning of the 5th at six o'clock, and were met by Pappa and Savak and taken to the bungalow, called Prem Bhawan, at No. 4 Chander Road. Baba occupied the upper floor alone and the women occupied the ground floor.