Leaving Nagpur, Baba boarded a train for Allahabad at about 5:00 P.M. on the 4th, amid tumultuous acclamations from a vast crowd gathered to see him off at the railway station. Even other passengers traveling by the same train ran for Baba's darshan.
Bhau had also come, and Baba gestured to him, "Remember what took place today [meaning, the orders given]."
Bhau's wife, Rama, had accompanied him with their baby, Sheela. Baba tickled and kissed the child. Baba knew everything, and from the start had cleared the way for Bhau to stay with him until the end.1
The train began moving, and thunderous cheers went up. Many had tears in their eyes, and some looked dazed. Baba stood in the entrance to his compartment, waving to his woebegone lovers on the platform. For a long while, they stood staring after the train, unable to look away, and it seemed as if their hearts had departed with it.
Baba's journey to Allahabad was a secret, and none had any idea where he was proceeding. Baba had sent Baidul in advance to search for a house and masts. After a journey of almost 36 hours, Baba and the party arrived in Allahabad on Tuesday, 6 January 1953, at 1:00 A.M. Baba had not allowed anyone to lie down in the train, including himself, and so no one had slept.
Baidul had found a newly constructed house in a quiet locality, where all were accommodated. They had a neighbor, Harishchander Verma, in whose care all correspondence and telegrams were sent. He was the only one in Allahabad who knew of Baba's presence there, and who was allowed to meet Baba. Upon reaching Allahabad, Baba set out to contact masts in the city, as well as in surrounding places. He also visited various shrines, dargahs, tombs and samadhis in and around the city.
Eruch, Pendu and Baidul collected 100 sadhus from different assembly places of the Kumbha Mela then in full progress at Allahabad. On the 9th, Baba laid his head on the feet of each sadhu 50 times and gave each one Rs.50 as prasad. He then sent ten of the mandali to various localities to contact other sadhus or mahatmas. Before they left, Baba bowed his head 50 times on their feet with instructions that each member of the mandali should bow down to 50 sadhus, so that his work of contacting a certain number of sadhus might be completed sooner through them.
Footnotes
- 1.Coincidentally, earlier on 4 January 1953, Baba visited Matru Sewa Sangh, an obstetric hospital where Indu Deshmukh worked, to see the daughter of a local lover named Pillay. The girl was staying in room number seven, the same room where Sheela Kalchuri had been born seven months before. Years later a plaque was installed by the Deshmukhs to commemorate Baba's visit.