After six days of fasting on liquids, Baba ate a little food and explained the purpose of his fast. He revealed that it was necessary for special spiritual work and aided him in "inverse breathing," which he described as "breathing in the opposite way in which normal human beings usually breathe."
That afternoon, the mandali were divided into three groups. The first was told to fast for three months on water and weak tea; the second to fast for 24 hours every Thursday and Sunday; and the third to fast only once a week on Thursdays.
During the two-day Diwali program, one evening Baba unexpectedly wanted to hear lectures instead of bhajan singing and selected seventeen men to give speeches. Several did not know what to expound upon. They stood before the large audience with blank, embarrassed looks on their faces. Others spoke at length about nonsensical matters. Two hours of lectures were enjoyed while Baba kept score, giving each speaker a certain amount of points.
Visitors during Diwali included Sadashiv and Baily. Memo had also been to see Baba recently.
For the past nine months, since returning to Meherabad in January from Bombay, Baba had not shaved. But on 21 October 1925, the barber at Manzil-e-Meem, Gangaram, came from Bombay for Baba's darshan and was allowed to shave him.
The former laundryman at Manzil-e-Meem, Kashinath, came the same day. He had broken the Master's orders years before, and Baba had warned him that he would contract leprosy if he did not confess his sin. When he arrived at Meherabad, the mandali were horrified when they saw that he was, in fact, now a leper. All his fingers had fallen off and his face was disfigured. Kashinath begged Baba's forgiveness for not obeying him even after his warning. Baba indicated that he forgave him. Sobbing, Kashinath pleaded to be cured of the disease.
Baba consoled him, "I have forgiven you. After my forgiveness, this disease is now a blessing for you. Bear the suffering and you will be blessed."
Kashinath was permitted to remain at Meherabad, and he lived there for many years until he died. He was given food twice a day, but the mandali were ordered not to speak with him except when absolutely necessary. Baba, too, for the most part ignored him. When Baba was in a good mood, in response to Kashinath's salutations directed toward him, Baba would on rare occasions lift his hands in greeting.