ChaptersChapter 4Page 550

Chapter 4: Journeying

1924Page 550 of 5,444
Many were at the station, as Laksar is a major junction for people on pilgrimage to Hardwar.
Vajifdar arrived at 4:00 A.M. the following morning with the latest news about matters in Bombay. Baba explained to him about the proposed foot journey to Sakori. Baba asked the four men whether they should proceed to Sakori by foot, searching for sadhus and saints on the way, or journey by train to different places of pilgrimage, and eventually return to Meherabad? Gustadji, Behramji, and Padri were eager to put an immediate end to the foot journey and continue touring by train. Unexpectedly, Baba also agreed to stop walking. With Vajifdar, they took a train from Laksar at 1:30 P.M. and reached Moradabad at six that evening.
Arriving in Moradabad, Baba immediately set out in search of sadhus and found one in a temple near the river. The holy man must have been genuine, because not only did Baba bow to him, but the mandali did so as well. For the men to bow down was an unusual occurrence, and the sadhu applied ash to each man's forehead, including Baba's.
While returning, Baba spotted a mast seated in filth under a neem tree. It was learned that this God-intoxicated man had been sitting in that spot for four years, and had never moved despite all types of weather conditions. He would excrete where he was sitting into his hand and throw the feces over his shoulder, wiping his hands on his straw mat. After discovering that the mast was extremely fond of kulfi (ice cream), Baba fed him a large amount. Baba paid a nearby restaurant owner five rupees to feed the mast kulfi whenever he wished more.
Baba, with his companions, slept on the railway platform and departed for Bhopal the following day, Tuesday, 19 August. Baba's health continued to be poor; he had many motions and vomited also. They changed trains at Lucknow, but Padri stayed in the train and continued to Benares to meet Sadashiv. He was directed to proceed with him to Baroda, where all would meet. Baba arrived in Bhopal on the afternoon of the 20th of August and there, too, he continued to search out and bow to sadhus.
Adi arrived from Ahmednagar the next day and pleaded with Baba to end his wandering and come back to Meherabad. Baba did not give him a definite answer and left in the evening for Ratlam, allowing Adi to accompany them.
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