Each and every mast, wherever he may be, is helping in the inner crusade. They all know that things are going to happen which have never happened before. I have to contact seven masts out of the names on the list. I have already communed with four of them, will contact the remaining three today and then rest for a while before proceeding to Hamirpur. When I bless the world with my grace, it will be due to the eternal grace I enjoy from Sai Baba, Babajan and Upasni Maharaj."
Baba gave darshan to about 300 of his Bombay lovers at Ashiana that afternoon, including Irene Conybeare, who had arrived in Bombay the day before from America.1 Baba sent her ahead with Meherjee to Kanpur by first class train, so that she could attend the mass darshan program at Hamirpur.
In the evening Baba again contacted masts, the last of whom was Umar Baba.2 All of the mandali were permitted to witness this contact from a distance. After Baba had worked with the mast, he was very pleased and told the mandali to take Umar Baba's darshan. All then returned to Ashiana.
Baba left for Kanpur by train in a crowded third class coach on the night of Sunday, 16 November 1952. For fun, he gave each of the mandali with him a line on which to compose a rhyme. Those whose rhymes turned out well were given rewards. Jalbhai and Dhake narrated humorous stories to Baba, keeping him in a cheerful mood. Kumar, another accomplished raconteur, would also regale him with tall tales. After traveling for a day and two nights, they reached Kanpur early in the morning of the 18th, where they were joined by Meherjee and Irene Conybeare.
Baba's lodging was arranged in the large bungalow of a magistrate, and the mandali stayed in the house of Bhavani Prasad Nigam. He, Keshav, Pukar, Sripat Sahai, Laxmichand Paliwal and Shital Prasad Nigam had made the best possible arrangements, and the lovers of the district had dedicated themselves in Baba's service.
From Kanpur station, they were driven along 60 miles of dirt roads to Hamirpur, arriving at 10:00 A.M. Irene rode with Baba in his car.
"You will see the real India," he remarked to her.
A pontoon bridge over the Jumna River was opened for traffic that day, and Baba's car was the first to cross it.
For the next ten days, from the 18th to the 27th of November, Baba gave darshan to the masses at various places in Hamirpur district. Wherever he went enormous crowds gathered; nothing but a sea of humanity could be seen.
Footnotes
- 1.Irene Conybeare was a British intellectual who had met Meher Baba for five minutes, eleven years before, in 1941 in Dehra Dun.
- 2.Umar Baba passed away on 8 June 1953.