Avatar Meher Baba has given the following message for the 41st anniversary of his silence: "God's first Word was 'Who am I?' God's last word is 'I am God.' And the Word that I, the God-Man, will utter soon will be the sound of my Infinite Silence."
To those in New Zealand, Baba also cabled: "My love and blessing from the depth of my silence."
At Meherazad, at 8:00 P.M. on the 9th, the mandali listened to a radio address given by Amar Singh Saigal, in which he mentioned Avatar Meher Baba's name several times.
That year, there was no mention of a fast in lieu of keeping silence. Also, according to Baba's instructions, it was the first time that Silence Day was publicly celebrated in New York City at the Barbizon Plaza Hotel. The program on 16 July was organized by Harry Kenmore with the help of Annarosa Karrasch, John Bass, Fred and Ella Winterfeldt, and others.
Sheela Kalchuri was brought back to Ahmednagar by Adi on 9 July and, as promised, was called to Meherazad alone on the 11th. Baba sent instructions that Rama should cook nine eggplants and send them with Sheela.
At Guruprasad, after her operation, Baba had had a mixture of bananas, milk and figs made every day which he used to give Sheela with his own hands.
He remarked it was nutritious, urging her, "Eat this, it is my prasad. It will help you to regain your strength quickly."
Sheela had tasted it, but thought it so repugnant, she felt as if she would vomit. She asked Baba if she could go out and eat it, and he permitted her. Once alone, she poured the mixture down the bathroom sink.
Every day at 4:00 P.M. in the hall, Baba would give her a bowl of the mixture and each day she would go outside, dutifully take one spoonful — as it was Baba's prasad — and dump the rest.
After a week, she asked Baba if he would give her each item separately, not mixed together, and Baba replied, "Of course you can have the bananas, figs and milk separately. You want it that way? I am happy to give you what you like. I am so happy you told me the truth."
On the 11th, Sheela arrived at Meherazad, happy and proud that her mother and brother were not accompanying her. Baba was loving as usual, and at lunchtime the table was laden with several delicious dishes. Sheela thought: "How lucky I am to be having lunch with Baba today, and so many good things to eat!"