At the Kurduwadi railway station, a throng of followers had collected to see Baba, and he lovingly gave his blessings to all. Baba and the mandali continued their journey and reached Sholapur at 11:45 P.M., where they were taken to Gadekar's small house. After a meal was served, Gadekar's family had Baba's darshan. It was 3:00 A.M. before Baba and the mandali went to rest in Dr. Kotni's bungalow next to Gadekar's, which had been arranged for Baba and the mandali.
After Baba had announced that he would be coming to Sholapur, Ghani, Pandoba, Babadas and Anna 104 had been sent in advance to see to arrangements. Besides their main duty of publicizing the event through handbills, posters and advertisements in front of movie theaters, Ghani, with the help of local workers, was appointed to explain to the reception committees at different spots the three important conditions attached to Baba's visit:
“”Visitors should not touch Meher Baba's feet or prostrate themselves before him, even from a distance.
No private interviews should be asked for.
No material or worldly desires should be expressed by those coming for darshan.
Pendu, Padri, Kalemama, Murli and Masaji arrived from Meherabad. Gadekar's wife Gunatai arranged fine food for all, and Gadekar oversaw preparations for the darshan function. Many hundreds of people in the district had become acquainted with Meher Baba's cause through work done by Gadekar.
The actual darshan began at 9:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 10 March 1943. Baba gave darshan for two hours under a mandap that had been raised adjacent to Gadekar's house. Then, stopping it for an hour, Baba bathed seven mad and masts, whom Babadas and Anna 104 had been instructed to bring. After their baths, Baba dressed them in new clothes and served them food.
In the afternoon, from two to four o'clock, a qawaali program by Krishnarao was held to entertain the Master. During the program, some people came to see him for the first time. One devout Hindu was Mr. Varad, a trustee of the Siddheshwar temple, who requested Baba to give darshan to the devotees of the temple. Baba fixed seven o'clock that evening for the visit. He then resumed giving public darshan from four to seven in the evening. Thousands came in those three hours. Afterwards, Baba was taken to the Siddheshwar temple to meet the devotees there.
