Bhau decided to go for darshan the next day, taking with him his wife Rama and their seven-month-old baby daughter Sheela.
Meanwhile, at Meherazad, a qawaali program was held at 4:00 P.M. on the afternoon Baba arrived, Thursday, 25 December 1952, as per his sudden request. Adi Sr. brought an Ahmednagar singer, along with Sidhu. The next day Baba bowed to Kaka, Eruch, Adi Sr. and Don, while Don read out the Repentance Prayer.
Baba left Meherazad for Saoner at 1:15 P.M. on 29 December. Adi drove Baba in Sarosh's car, with Eruch and Chhagan. They arrived at Victoria Terminus, Bombay at 6:30 P.M. where Nariman, Meherjee, Jalbhai and Gadekar met them. Adi then returned to Ahmednagar as Baba was to take a train to Saoner. The other mandali joined Baba at Karanja, and all reached Saoner, 26 miles from Nagpur, the following evening. As previously instructed, Dhake had brought a select boy and also the boy's father.
Alexander Markey, the American film director, also arrived at Saoner and was lodged at the home of Nana Kher's brother-in-law, Bhasker Mukund Sapre. Markey had expressly come to invite Baba to the inauguration of his film shooting at Alwar, but due to previous commitments Baba could not attend.
For Baba's arrival, Saoner had been transformed into a festival grounds. Reception festoons and buntings adorned every corner. Roads were swept and cleaned, arches constructed over them and a huge pavilion erected. Pophali Pleader and his sons, Abdul Majid Khan, Naib Tahsildar (a government officer), and many devotees from the surrounding villages of Ajangaon, Kheri, Angewada, Patkakhedi, Malegaon, Ajni and others were responsible for this marvelous metamorphosis of Saoner.
Baba stayed at the Circuit House and the mandali at the home of Bhawalkar Pleader. His daughter Basumati loved Baba dearly and in her intense devotion had stopped taking food and water. When Baba was in Amraoti, she was brought to him, and he fed her himself.
Abdul Majid Khan had surpassed himself in making the best arrangements for Baba, with the help of Pophali's family. Multitudes of people gathered on 31 December — not less than 20,000. Age recorded: "The skies resounded with victory cries of Meher Baba's jai and the divine rays of his presence shone everywhere!"
As Bhau got off the train at the Saoner station and entered the town he surveyed this wonderful scene. Instead of going to his sister's house, he, Rama and their baby went straight to the darshan pavilion.