All were overjoyed. He patted some, kissed a few and embraced others. The children did gymnastic exercises, and a group staged a play for his enjoyment about the ancient saint Narad Muni.1 Baba sat down on the floor in front of the actors, who were doubly inspired to put on a good show.
The play lasted for about an hour, and Baba then began distributing prasad. The little actors in their costumes approached him for their share, and when the boy who had played the lead part of Narad (complete with a large false mustache) came to Baba, he said he wanted to whisper something in Baba's ear. Baba bent his head to listen and the lad told him, "Baba, this big-mustachioed fellow [referring to himself] wants to be your disciple!" Baba embraced him fondly, and the boy was delighted. Accepting the prasad, the boy twirled his fake mustache, and left with the conviction that Baba had truly accepted him as his devotee.
In the afternoon a darshan program exclusively for women was held in the Gita temple. Indumati Deshmukh, her daughter, Sanjeevani, and Mrs. Sherlekar read out Baba's message and interpreted his gestures for the many women attending the darshan, because no man, even from the mandali, was allowed to be present. At these various occasions, Baba was a child among children, a woman among women and a man among men!
In the evening a large public darshan took place in the same temple. It lasted until late at night. Baba was led through the crowd with much difficulty and escorted back to his residence. No previous notice had been given for this program, no publicity or announcements in the papers, yet almost 10,000 people had come for darshan. Sherlekar had informed only a few, but because of the children's program held that morning, the neighborhood people had thronged to the Gita temple for darshan at night. Had advance notice been published in the newspapers, thousands more might have turned up.
Meanwhile, as mentioned, Bhau and his family had followed Baba to Nagpur, but had no idea of Baba's whereabouts or schedule. He frantically roamed the city trying to elicit information, but none was available. On Sunday, 4 January, however, he read a report in the Nagpur Times about the programs held in the Gita temple and went there, although again nothing had been mentioned about any further programs to be held that day.
Footnotes
- 1.The Sanskrit word narada means one who gives knowledge to men; a messenger between the gods and men. Muni means a sage or wise man.