Baba had been continuously fasting since the 5th of July. At times he would drink milkless tea or sherbet. Yet during this period, despite fasting, he was always energetic and agile. Up to then he had not stepped out of the ashram at Toka since arriving in June. But on Monday, 20 August 1928, on the Hindu festival of Naag Panchmi (worship of cobras), Baba left at 7:30 A.M. with eighteen people for a visit to Ahmednagar and Shendi. Accompanying him were a few of the mandali, a number of boys, Chhota Baba, Meredith Starr and the two Western women.
They arrived in Ahmednagar at 9:30 and the group went to Akbar Press where they stayed for three hours. Sitar and tambura music were played and breakfast served. Afterward they went to Shendi, a village a few miles from Nagar which Baba had visited a year before. Baba was received with great enthusiasm. Borker had set up the program and the Patil of the village had seen to all the arrangements. Baba was taken in a grand procession to the Patil's house where he was covered with garlands. At seven that night Baba returned with the group to Toka.
For some time, Chanji's brother, Naoroji Dadachanji, who lived in Bombay, was suffering from a severe case of dysentery. Despite many different treatments, he was not recovering. Baba called him to Toka and asked him to begin eating only chapatis and milk. Although this idea did not appeal to him, he followed Baba's advice. But Naoroji's dysentery seemed to get worse, and after two days, on 21 August, when Baba asked him how he felt, he said, "Baba, my trouble has increased by eating chapatis. For this disease, chapatis are poison."
Baba replied, "All right, then you may eat rice."
Naoroji was happy and switched to this diet. But the rice seemed to aggravate his dysentery even more and he became desperate over what to do next. Through Chanji, Baba sent him the message to return to Bombay. Naoroji was disappointed and sought Baba's forgiveness, pleading that whatever Baba told him to eat, he would.