Sarosh and Viloo were called to Meherazad on 9 December. That day, Baba agreed to also see Avinash Saxena, who was working in Canada. He had been permitted to see Baba for a few minutes in November, but he did not receive Adi's telegram. Hence, Baba made an exception and gave him darshan on the 9th.
On Sunday morning, 10 December 1967, a meeting was held at Meherazad. Sarosh, Adi, Chhagan, Dhake, Rangole, and Rustom Kaka were called to discuss Sarosh's idea to celebrate Baba's birthday on a grand scale with a Meher Mela in Ahmednagar.1 An eight-day fair was proposed to start on 21 February, with stalls, a merry-go-round and a celebratory parade. Jehangu's father, Manchershaw Sukhadwalla of Bombay and Minoo Bharucha of Nasik agreed to supervise the arrangements. (Later, however, the fair was canceled, and only a parade was held.)
A tremendous earthquake rocked the western shores of (Bombay) India at 4:30 A.M. on 11 December, shockwaves from which were felt in Ahmednagar, Meherabad and Meherazad for about 50 seconds. When the tremors occurred, Baba was in his bedroom. Goher came running into the room and held fast to him! She was trying to save Baba, and he smiled. Rano was on watch at the time, and she, too, joined Goher in expressing her concern for Baba's safety during the earthquake.2
Kaikobad began experiencing extreme pain in his hip, and after X-rays were taken, it was discovered that the steel pin in his hip joint had shifted due to indiscriminate weight-bearing. On the 14th, he was taken by ambulance and again admitted to the hospital where the pin was removed.
Baba remarked, "My work with Kaikobad remains incomplete, but I will now do it alone and finish it."
Baba commenced working alone in mandali hall, during which time he would beat his chest and thighs repeatedly in a forceful manner. Absolute silence was imposed on those in Meherazad while Baba was doing his work on the higher planes. They were to keep to their rooms and not move about. Bhau was on watch outside the hall, and either he or Eruch would go inside when Baba clapped. Baba would work in the hall for three to four hours in the morning and one hour in the afternoon, and again for 20 minutes in his room. This routine continued for days.
Footnotes
- 1.Dhake was also sent to a Meher Mela in Gwalior in December 1967 as Baba's representative.
- 2.Centered in the vicinity of Koyna, Maharashtra, about 160 miles southeast of Bombay, the earthquake resulted in the death of 177 persons, injury to over 2,000, and 50,000 left homeless.