But Pendu felt sad and remembered how Meheru had prepared and sent food to Pimpalgaon for him, Eruch, Baidul and Gustadji during the Manonash seclusion period. Meheru had also kept everything at Meherazad immaculately clean during Baba's absence in the New Life.
After Meheru's demise, Baba sent a telegram to the Satha family in Ahmednagar saying that Meheru was now happy and asking them to send him dakshina (an offering) of Rs.5,000 for his work in Dehra Dun, which they promptly did.1
From Thursday, 1 October 1953, prayers were offered by the mandali, Kishan Singh, Kumar, Elcha, Hellan and Keki Nalavala at various sites in Dehra Dun, starting at midnight each night. The Hindus among them were sent to a temple to pray, the Muslims to a mosque, and the Christians (Don) to a church. There being no fire-temple in Dehra Dun, Keki would go to the Parsi cemetery to pray. Some of the mandali prayed in Baba's presence while keeping the symbols of their religions before them. Baba took part in each prayer. Thereafter he would go to the church, mosque, temple and gurudwara (temple of the Sikhs), where, as instructed, one of the mandali would utter the prayer according to his religion at midnight. The ritual would last until 2:00 A.M. and continued for a full week.
At this time, in addition, much correspondence was going back and forth with those lovers and devotees in Andhra and Hamirpur about Baba's intended visit to those places. Keshav Nigam, Pukar and Gaya Prasad Khare were called to Dehra Dun to discuss the Hamirpur programs. They arrived on the 20 th and left four days later. Keshav was asked to translate the "Highest of the High" message into Hindi. Baba heard his translation and ordered 5,000 copies of the message printed and distributed in the district.
On 22 October 1953, Baba remarked to Bhau, "I am born today!" and after embracing Bhau first, he called and embraced each of the mandali and distributed sweets.
No one understood the meaning of Baba's statement until that evening when a telegram was received from Nagpur that Bhau's wife Rama had given birth to a son. Baba himself named the boy Mehernath (Prince of Mercy) and revealed to Bhau that he had been Jal Kerawalla in his previous life. After a month, Baba sent Bhau to Nagpur for a brief visit to see his new son.
According to Baba's instructions, his Eastern and Western lovers ("men and women, young and old ...") kept awake on the night of Tuesday, 28 October 1953 and audibly repeated God's name according to their respective religions for one hour from midnight to 1:00 A.M. without a break.
In Dehra Dun, Baba asked Keki Nalavala to do the repetition the whole night.
Footnotes
- 1.After Meheru Damania's death, her husband Savak moved to Bombay.