From the 18th until the 30th of September, Baba worked in seclusion with Kaikobad in Judge's Bungalow for three hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon.
On 1 October 1956, all of Baba's lovers in India and Pakistan were informed through a circular (dictated on 22 September) that he had decided to hold a sahavas in Meherabad from 7 November to 7 December 1957. Both men and women would be invited to attend. As in 1955, there were to be four groups for five days each. According to the circular: "This unprecedented gathering will include not only men and women lovers of the West, but also some of the most revered saints and masts of India." Needless to say, people were thrilled by the prospect of coming to Meherabad for the congregation — but they still had thirteen months to wait!
To make all the arrangements for the expected 225 Westerners and 1,500 Easterners, it was estimated that enough funds would be available if each Westerner contributed $300 as a love-gift, which would also cover all their expenses during the month they would be staying in India for the sahavas. Baba approved this sum. One of the mandali said that this was only a rough approximation and asked, "What if there is an insufficient amount of money?"
Baba smiled and joked in reply, "We could all go on a fast and eat only on Sundays."
On Monday, 1 October 1956, Baba fasted again without water for 24 hours. Two days later, on the 3rd, he left for Bombay in Nariman's car with Eruch and Nilu to contact masts. They stayed at Ashiana, and Baba saw no one except Nariman. Arnavaz and Goher's sister, Katie, who lived with the Dadachanjis at Ashiana, had been told to shift to Dadar with Arnavaz's family.
After three days of contacting certain masts in Bombay with whom Baba had worked before, he was driven to Meherazad on the 6th, with Eruch, Nilu and Baidul. (Baidul had gone to Hardwar on 29 September to bring Nilkanthwala Mast to Bombay, but had been unsuccessful as the mast refused to come.) Kaka Baria was staying at Meherazad alone, and Baba spent two days there (it rained nonstop) discussing different things with him and Adi Sr. Chhagan was called for nightwatch, as usual.
While conversing with Adi Sr., Baba examined an old exercise book of his handwritten points. Baba asked Adi to have it typed and to find out whether the points contained in the pages were elaborated on elsewhere.1
Footnotes
- 1.What these points were or whether they were expanded elsewhere is not known.