As soon as Baba stepped out of the car, the president of the center, Sadashiv Patil, garlanded him. With a smile, Baba embraced him and then approached the door of the hall, where Meherjee presented him with a tray containing scissors and the key. Taking the scissors, Baba cut the seven-colored ribbon fastened across the doorway and then unlocked the door with the key.
Baba walked into the main hall, followed by the center's seven trustees and the photographer Bhikubhai. Flower petals were strewn on the carpeted pathway from the doorstep to the stage where Baba's chair had been placed. It was a cushioned armchair specially built for the occasion. Upon entering the hall, Baba looked all around, and praised the framed photographs of him that adorned the walls. They depicted various aspects of his life and work. Bhikubhai had presented the photographs to the center, and Baba asked him to take his photograph then. Beheram and Jehangu took a film of the proceedings.
As soon as Baba was seated, Adi unfurled the seven-colored Baba flag from the ceiling of the main hall. Then the lovers waiting outside filed into the hall and took their seats. When the hall was full, seven children stepped out of a small side room, singing a song of welcome to the Avatar. Each child held a garland of one of the seven colors of Baba's flag. One by one the children placed each garland around Baba's neck, and then they expressed the pleasure of all Poona lovers by singing and dancing before him. They declared it their great good fortune to have been favored with Baba's presence. From the glowing smile on Baba's face, it was obvious that he was happy at the welcome. He praised the children and extolled the efforts of Madhusudan, who had trained them for the previous several days. The Poona group then sang bhajans, and songs that Madhusudan had composed for the inaugurations of Meher Dham in Nauranga, Mehersthan in Kovvur, and Meher Dham in Dehra Dun. In addition, they also sang another one which Madhusudan had especially written for this occasion.
After Madhusudan sang, five-year-old Mehera Kerawala came to the microphone and recited the Master's and Repentance prayers in English, and then Bhavsar's daughters, Sudha and Asha, offered the same prayers in Marathi. On behalf of the lovers of the new Poona Center, Soman again expressed their gratitude to Baba for his compassion in gracing them with his presence at the opening of their center. He also thanked all who had, in one way or another, offered a helping hand in its establishment, and who had labored toward that end.