But Baba never spared himself or the mandali where this work was concerned. His mast work was most important, and took precedence over his own and others' comfort. Although many accounts of the masts are brief, one should remember that each mast or mastani was a truly advanced soul traversing the subtle or mental planes of consciousness, and that it was very important to Baba to contact each one for the work he was then doing."
Baba stayed in Raigarh for four days contacting masts. The most significant was Balu Gutta , an old man who emanated pure innocence and acted like a child before Baba. In an ashram, Baba also contacted a sadhu who, like the sadhu in Bishnupur, was known as Swami Anand . Baba remarked that Anand was a sincere seeker on the Path.
From Raigarh, Baba sent Gustadji and Baidul to Raipur a day ahead, and he and Kaka left on 25 October 1945, arriving in Raipur the following day.
The site that Jal Kerawalla had chosen for Baba's seclusion was 100 miles south of Raipur, near Sihawa. This desolate area, with dense forests and thick jungle on all sides, was known as Tapovan, where four great saints — known as Shringi Rishi, Angiras Rishi, Muchukunda Rishi and Kunmag Rishi — are said to have done penance and austerities centuries before.1 It was now a government forest reserve. The mountain Jal had selected for Baba's seclusion was called Angiras Rishi Hill , and was located a mile from Ratawa village. The surrounding tract was known as Mutchka Sihawa, the central village of Sihawa being five miles away.
Since Jal Kerawalla was a high-ranking government official, the forest officials, at his request, had repaired bridges and widened the jungle paths, making them accessible to cars.2 He had also had a hut built for Baba at the very summit of the hill. There were two caves on the hill. One, part way down on the far side, overlooked the valley and had a natural rock verandah in front of it, shaded by a banyan tree. The other cave, below, was situated in such a way that nothing at all could be seen from the inside.
For the mandali, another hut was built less than half a furlong (110 yards) away and, as Baba wished, was placed in such a way that Baba's hut and caves could not be seen from it.
Footnotes
- 1.Shringi may imply a title of high respect, such as a "holy man"; Angiras means a knower of the scriptures, or a knower of Vedangas (parts of the Vedas); Muchukunda is the name of a sage in the Mahabharata; Kunmag may be derived from the Sanskrit word kunsa, meaning to shine.
- 2.Jal Kerawalla was the collector of the district, a post similar to a county commissioner but more powerful.