No one should try to contact him during this period, and particularly when he is in Pimpalgaon, with the idea of laying before him personal grievances or troubles whatsoever. The climax of the Fiery Life will be in April, and Baba must be free to carry on his work as planned.
At noon on Friday, 14 November 1952, Meher Baba went from Meherazad to Meherabad to begin the journey. Sarosh was driving him and he stopped briefly at Sarosh Motors, where Gulmai met him.
Twenty-one persons were to go with him, and Krishnaji was to join them at Sakori.1
At Meherabad, "Baba looked ill," Ramjoo noted. About his fever, Baba informed the gathering:
"The doctors cannot at this stage say what the fever is due to. It might turn into anything! Anyway, let us start out the journey and try to carry out the programs already chalked out, unless there is a complete physical breakdown. In such a case, you fellows see that I am carried back to Pimpalgaon. If I drop the body, remember to bring me back to Meherabad."
Baba left Meherabad in Sarosh's car with Baidul, Eruch and Jalbhai. The other men preceded them in a State Transport bus hired for the occasion. At sunset they reached Sakori, which Baba visited for the first time in almost 30 years. Baba was heartily and devoutly received at the gate by Godavri Mai and others of Upasni Maharaj's ashram. Godavri Mai started to touch his feet, but Baba prevented her, as this was not permitted in the Fiery Life. Baba's arti was performed, and he was taken around the Sakori ashram. At every spot he went to, Baba bowed his head.
Baba was then led to Upasni Maharaj's samadhi, which he touched with his forehead.
Baba pointed to himself and stated, "Maharaj is here, and not there."
The mandali, too, bowed at Maharaj's tomb. Baba was taken to a small building, where formerly there had been a straw hut in which he and Maharaj had sat for hours together late into the night.
There Baba disclosed, "This is the place where one night Maharaj addressed me as the Avatar."
Footnotes
- 1.Aloba, Baidul, Chhagan, Dhake, Eruch, Gadekar, Gustadji, Jalbhai, Kaikobad, Kumar, Madhusudan, Nana Kher, Nariman, Pankhraj, Pendu, Ramjoo, Savak Kotwal, Sidhu, Thade, Vishnu, Yeshwantrao. Adi Sr., Nilu, Padri, Kaka Baria and Don did not go.