On Sunday, 1 January 1950, Baba wished all his companions a "Happy New Life!"
It had rained the previous night and Baba remarked, "The New Life is begun with wetness outside. It augurs well for the New Life proving 'wet' inside too!"
All stood before Baba as prayers representing the four major religions were read out. Sadashiv, Vishnu and Nilu read the Dasavatar (Ten Incarnations) section of the Bhagavata Purana; Ghani, Aloba and Baidul read from the Koran; Adi, Kaka and Eruch read from the Zend Avesta; Don read a short prayer dictated by Baba. Afterwards, Baba gave each a piece of Christmas cake.
Before leaving, Ghani and Babadas were sent out for begging.
At two o'clock that afternoon they left Moradabad, walking in procession. The cavalcade now consisted of a caravan, two tongas and one bullock cart. Pendu drove the caravan, Don and Baidul the tongas, and Sadashiv the bullock cart. Baba and the companions trudged along, all the luggage piled into the caravan, tongas and cart. After covering about six miles, the caravan halted for the night at Pakwara Village in the garden of the Kamal Kunj bungalow. While they were resting, maya scorned them and the improvement in their lot (because of Harjiwan's bhiksha). Maya's wrath came in the form of rain — heavy showers came thundering upon them.
The companions were lying in the open garden in the pitch-dark. As the showers began, they hurriedly rolled up their bedding, and shouldering it ran to the verandah of the bungalow. Aloba fell down when his feet got entwined in the cord tied to the animals. Sadashiv rebuked him, saying, "Why are you looking at me? Pick up your bedding. Did you write 'Yes' just to stare at me? This is the New Life!"
Their bedding got soaked in spite of their efforts. On the first day of the New Life of helplessness, Indra's (the god of rain) bhiksha rendered them totally helpless! Baba was inside a small tent, but it had holes in it and leaked, so he and his bedding also got drenched.
It was a sleepless, miserable night, but Baba was happy.
"I feel that this picture of the New Life, which I have formed in my mind will come true," he said. "God knows best."
They left the garden early on the morning of 2 January. The two tongas went in advance to select the next halting spot, where Kaka was to keep the food ready and Ghani and Babadas were to go out for begging. After walking five miles, Baba sent Eruch out to beg. He brought loaves of bread, a piece of which Baba distributed to each one. The women fed grass to the donkeys, and after covering a further five miles they arrived at the village of Haryana at 2:00 P.M., where they stayed in a mango grove.