Elcha had suggested a cooler and speedy shortcut — but by the end of the drive, they were covered with dust from head to foot, and Gustadji vowed never again to travel with Elcha. According to Baba's order, none of the men had either dozed or slept. (Baba had given everyone a tablet to help them keep awake.) Those in Baba's car, which had gone in advance, sensed that something had gone wrong and came back to find them.
After the repairs were made, both cars started again. Along the way, Baba stopped in Kankhal, a suburb of Hardwar, and contacted a naked mast, whose lustrous skin was the color of copper. He lived in a garden all year round. When he came to know that a group had arrived for his darshan, he himself got up and went to greet them, but stood some distance away from the men. Baba approached him and touched the mast's feet with his forehead.
The mast related that a week before he had a set of dentures fitted, costing Rs.125, and that since then he had a good appetite. He smiled broadly to show Baba. He then spoke about presenting a carved bone, which he had formed into a weapon and with which he had destroyed the giant Vratasura, to Dadhichi Rishi!1 Deshmukh was filming the scene and, now in a cordial mood, the mast asked the whole group to join him in the film. Baba again touched his feet.
Arriving in Rishikesh on the morning of Tuesday, 10 June 1953 to conclude the mast trip, Baba and the mandali went to contact Nilkanthwala again. This time, Nilkanthwala was staying on the upper floor of Bhajan Ashram. Sweets and fruit on a thali (stainless steel plate) were presented to Nilkanthwala, and Baba garlanded him. Bowing to the great mast, Baba touched his feet, and calling the others, indicated that they should touch the mast's cot on which he was seated, by resting their heads in obeisance on it.
This time Nilkanthwala was silent, but wrote on his slate: "Kankhal, Hardwar, Rishikesh, and Ram-Ram [goodbye]!"
Nilkanthwala's eyes seemed full of complete peace. Baba at this time indicated to Nilkanthwala that he would see him again soon.
This was the final contact of Baba's journey, and at four o'clock that afternoon they started their return to Dehra Dun. They had covered 1,947 miles in five days, often traveling in summer temperatures over 100°. Reaching Dehra Dun at four o'clock on the afternoon of the 10th, they were exhausted.
Footnotes
- 1.Dadhichi Rishi was an ancient saint in India. The mythological legend is that he sacrificed his life so that Indra could make a thunderbolt out his bones to kill the giant Vratrasura, who lived in the depths of the forest and harassed people.