ChaptersChapter 16Page 2,386

Chapter 16: Wartime Travel For Masts

1943Page 2,386 of 5,444
In the village of Khorrampura (Khurampur), Baba contacted Khudai Baba , another high mast. He was a sturdy old man dressed like a peasant, who lived in a rather large house with its own courtyard, where he kept many head of cattle. This mast was well kept and mannerly, and after their contact offered Baba tea.
In Phagwara, Baba contacted a mast named Khurshid Baba who lived in a cemetery. He was dressed like a sadhu in an ochre-colored robe, although he was a Muslim by birth.
Another mast was Swami Kali Parbat , an old man who was advanced. He was well known in the area, where he had an ashram and a group of disciples. After these contacts in Phagwara, Baba returned that night to Jullundur.
Baba, Baidul, Adi Sr. and Chanji left again by the morning train on 27 October 1943 for Hoshiarpur, which they reached at 9:00 A.M. Baba wanted to go to the telegraph office first and then have a meal, but Baidul suggested going in a certain direction to contact a nearby mast. Their tonga driver, however, got lost, and they ended up wasting time rambling about for a long while, which upset Baba's mood. His instructions had been disregarded, and his plans were consequently upset. The mast could not be traced. However, Baba did, on the way, come across a young mastani walking past their tonga whom he contacted. She was called Mastani Bavaji . She was quite beautiful and fair of face, and wore scarlet clothes. She had many devotees.
They then drove back to the town and found a restaurant where they had a meal. They hired another tonga. Baba wanted to go to Harmoya first, where he wished to contact a particular mast. Despite the recent memory of his first mistake in overlooking Baba's precise instructions, Baidul made another serious mistake in disregarding Baba's instruction. Baidul indicated that the village of Sisoli was closer, and told the tonga driver to head there. After several hours of futile rambling on very rough, sandy roads, they got lost. Finally after crossing through numerous fields and sand (and with the help of a fine young lad as a guide), they arrived at 3:00 P.M. in Sisoli, which was only seven miles away.
Baba worked with an old mast there known as Baba Mastan , who had spent 14 years under the same tree. It was too late to go to Harmoya, a village about five miles, so Baba and the men returned to Hoshiarpur at 5:15 P.M. (also with great difficulty in finding the correct road and having to walk for miles through fields), and then went back to Jullundur by taxi and train.
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