I bent over to touch Baba's feet, which were soft as velvet, tender as flower petals and cool like summer ice. It caused a tickling sensation in the body, as if one had caught hold of the handles of a baby dynamo! A ball falling on a soft, yielding surface like sand or cotton will remain lodged in it. I thought Baba's feet had become particularly soft and yielding to receive and lodge in them the sanskaras which we lay on them through our touch.
Many who came for darshan brought a box of candy or a souvenir to be touched by Baba, and they would take it back as his prasad. Among the souvenirs were articles such as marriage rings, handkerchiefs, towels, pillows, wooden sandals and even bottles of sherbet syrup. The monotony of touching each article did not bother Baba in the least, though one can imagine the extra strain of this action. He dispensed to each his love-filled smile and presence that all drank in with tears of joy and satisfaction. During this darshan, Baba did not kiss or embrace even one person while he was on the dais. Dr. Ginde had requested that Baba not nod his head either, but Baba would continuously move his neck, glancing at his lovers in all directions.
Almost every day some lost, screaming child would be brought to the microphone as the mother had forgotten the child in the rush of the darshan. It would be quite some time before she realized that it was her child being held aloft on the dais.
Glancing to the right, Baba saw three queues. Usually there were two, one for men and the other for women. On inquiry he was told that two main queues were formed by Andhra lovers while the third was formed by lovers leaving that day. The rows of the Andhraites were long and had those leaving that day joined them, they would have been surely deprived of darshan.
Baba gestured, "A long queue is standing in the hot sun; hurry up!"
At 11:05 A.M., Baba's arti was sung and he stood up and waved his blessing to the gathering. Eruch and Hoshang then assisted him inside, seating him in his wheelchair.
Baba was back in the side room at 3:40 P.M. Someone reported that the Hamirpur group was very anxious for darshan, as now only three days were left and thousands still awaited darshan.
The Finance Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Channa Reddy, and his family, came to see Baba.
Baba remarked to him, "There is now conflict between Pakistan and India. India is blessed because I am born in India. There is no cause for worry."