Finally, at 10:10 A.M., Dhake, representing the first week's group who had attended this sahavas earlier, said a few words. While reading his speech, Dhake was overcome with emotion and shed tears, causing other devotees to do the same. He and his wife jointly garlanded Baba as the previous speakers had done.
Baba then remarked that the speeches should be stopped as there was not sufficient time. Individual darshan was to begin. Baba ordered them to be as quick as they could, and after darshan to go to the dining tent, have lunch and come back to the pandal. The women were called one by one, and Godavri Mai was the first to take darshan. She garlanded Baba, touched his feet and received his embrace. The 200 women attending the sahavas followed, one by one. Each woman was given a little of the charanamrit with which they wetted their foreheads. Those who had brought monetary offerings placed them in a box at Baba's feet.
The women finished their turns at 11:05 A.M. Baba left the pandal for a few minutes to go to his cabin, and half an hour later resumed his "throne" so that the 600 men could begin taking darshan.1 Many local residents from Ahmednagar also came to Meherabad that day to honor Baba on his birthday and for his darshan.
Sarosh also brought Ned and Dorothea Foote, two Sufis from America, who garlanded Baba and took his darshan. The Footes had informed Baba of their weeklong trip to India in advance, but had been forbidden by Baba to seek him out. According to Baba's instructions, Arnavaz contacted them in Bombay and then they flew to Delhi intending to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra. There they received a telegram stating that Baba would permit them to be in Ahmednagar on the evening of the 24th, and for his birthday the next day. They were told that they would have to leave that same evening, and that Baba would not give an interview or answer any questions. So they flew back to Bombay and rented a car to drive to Ahmednagar. Their travel agent thought they were mistaken, saying, "You mean Ahmedabad ? No tourist ever goes to Ahmednagar!" They assured him Ahmednagar was correct.
The woman from Scotland who had met Baba earlier was also present at Meherabad on this occasion.
Footnotes
- 1.Godavri Mai also left the tent.