Those invited to the September meetings were to arrive on the 28th, and Pendu had hired buses and trucks to bring them (free of charge) from the railway station and bus stand. Baba, however, displayed his leela, as from the evening of the 27th, thunder and lightning filled the skies. The organizers did not pay much attention to this change in the weather, because it had often grown cloudy that month. But it began raining heavily and all the carefully made arrangements were rendered useless. Everywhere, there was mud and slush. At least Pendu had had the foresight to provide cots for sleeping, chairs and tables to eat on, and tin-sheet roofs over the tents, for which the guests were grateful.
The meeting tent had been pitched alongside the main road, near the railroad tracks (on the spot where the Sai Darbar had been years before), with 1,000 chairs inside. The dining tent was behind the mandali's quarters at lower Meherabad. Due to the torrential elephant rains on the 28th, water began flowing into the meeting area. The Arangaon workers dug tunnels to drain it, and dry earth was spread where pools of water had accumulated. Although everything had been done to perfection, out of jealousy, Indra, the god of rain, sent down heavy showers! Baidul's prayers had been ineffective, as Baba did not wish his lovers to have any earthly comforts. He wanted them to bathe in spiritual bliss.
With his pants rolled up, Pendu moved about, seeing that everything possible was done for the convenience of those invited. At the railway station, shouts of Baba's Jai were echoing as lovers from various parts of the country streamed in. They came from Andhra, Hamirpur, Delhi, Dehra Dun, Nagpur, Saoner, Bombay, Poona, Nasik, Satara, Calcutta, Kurduwadi, Sholapur and Navsari. Almost 950 persons arrived that day and were brought to Meherabad in the pouring rain.
Upon arrival, each man was given an entrance badge, signifying that the person had paid his Rs.22 as dakshina (love gift in form of money) required from everyone, though meals and lodging were free. They were also given copies of an article written by one of the mandali titled "The Truth About Religion" and the message "Meher Baba's Call."