1924 : TOURS & VISITS

1924 - First half

CONTENT :  1. INTRODUCTION

                     2.  BOMBAY

                     3.  1ST TRIP TO PERSIA ( IRAN )

                     4.  TOUR OF NORTH & CENTRAL INDIA

                     5.  TRIP TO KARACHI & QUETTA

                       1924 - Second half

                     6.  TRIP TO AURANGABAD

                     7.  TRIP TO SOUTH INDIA

                     8.  TRIP TO CALCUTTA

                     9.  TRIP TO KASHMIR

                   10.  TRIP TO BARODA

                   11.  TRIP TO GOA

                   12.  RETURN TO MEHERABAD

Page references are marked RD ( Ramjoo's Diary ) & LM ( Lord Meher ).

Click on the following button to visit the previous page in Meher Baba's Advent.

 UPASNI MAHARAJ       DAULAT S. IRANI            GUMAI K. IRANI                KHORSHED K. IRANI

January continued...

3.                               1st Trip to Persia

February 1924

On 12th February, a birthday feast was held for Baba at his premises, ( according to the Parsi calendar ) with lots of food. This coincided with the Perfect Master Upasni Maharaj coming out of his bamboo cage, ending a very long confinement period.

They boarded the ship S.S. Varela on 22nd February at 7:30am and departed Bombay harbour at 9:30am.

The men mandali that accompanied Meher Baba were :

Adi K. Irani, Beheramji H. Irani, Rustom B.'Baidul' Jafrabadi, Gustadji N. Hansotia, Rustom G.'Masaji' Irani, Khodadad F. 'Nervous' Irani, Faredoon 'Padri' Driver, Hormusji Vajifdar.

The other men that were left behind were told to wait at their homes until their return.

Mehera and her mother Daulat returned to their house in Poona.

RD  p.297

LM  p.600

https://www.meherbabatravels.com/ship-travels/varela/

MEHER BABA          ADI K. IRANI        GUSTADJI HANSOTIA  "BAIDUL" JAFRABADI    PILAMAI IRANI   

February cont.

During the 2 day voyage to Karachi. Meher Baba and his men always travelled lower class, which meant they stayed on the deck of the ship and braved the elements. Masaji did the cooking, mostly simple vegetarian meals with tea. Beheramji came down with a fever, and Adi had sea-sickness. Baba nursed both of them until they arrived in Karachi.

Pilamai had come to the wharf to see Baba on the 24th February, bringing flowers, vegetables, etc. Other admirers came as well. They soon departed the same day and some days later, when they entered the Persian Gulf, the waters were calm, steaming to Bahrain arriving about the 28th and then to the Persian port of Bushire, arriving about the 1st March.

RD p.298

* Please note : Adi K. Irani who was writing in the diary during this trip, did not write the dates of the arrivals or departures to or from these ports. The dates given are the webmasters estimates only.

Map shows the whole trip in February & March 1924. Map graphics by Anthony Zois.

1st March , 1924

When the ship arrived in Bushire on the 1st, a launch took the passengers to the dock and very agile porters took their belongings and placed them on mules to and then taken to Mr. Gilam Husain Lodi's house. A very cold front has set in prior to their arrival in Bushire. Keeping warm was crucial, the whole atmosphere was very wet and gloomy and not comfortable.

Both Baba and Vajifdar were suffering from nausea. Water had been purchased and brought to the house, but it had maggots in it and was also cloudy white. They decided to go inland to Shiraz, the home of the Perfect Master and poet Hafiz *( b.1325 - d.1390 ) and hired a truck to transport them there for 400 rupees.

The next day, 2nd March, Padri also got severe fever, Baba decided to cancel that trip and take another ship the S.S. Baroja back to Karachi. It was agreed that Baidul and Beheramji were to get down at Bandar Abba on the way, so they could go to their respective homes in Persia, and the rest onto Karachi.

The S.S. Baroja was very basic, a combined passenger and cargo ship.

RD  p.300

LM  p.601

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hafez

S.S. Barjora, the ship that made the return voyage to Karachi. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.

March 3 - 6th, 1924

The ship departed for Bandar Abbas, the passengers comprised of many Arabs, who were not civilized to Western standards, by killing animals by the score for their meals and relieving themselves anywhere. The men were quite shocked by their behaviour.

They arrived a couple of days later. After the 2 men left Baba  and went ashore, the ship stayed a couple of hours and then went to the small port of Li(e)ngeh, then onto the island of Ha(e)ngam.

RD  p.303

Lengeh / Bandar Lengeh, Iran nowadays

The port of Hengam, Iran nowadays

March 7 - 15th

The ship then steamed to the port of Muscat, Oman on the other side of the Straits of Hormuz taking several days to arrive. After a stay in the port, the ship departed for Karachi, arriving in mid-March.

Before arriving in Karachi, Baba met Gurkhas on board and they suggested that Baba and his men should go to Kathmandu in Nepal. He agreed to go there.

4.                TOUR OF NORTH & CENTRAL INDIA

Mid-March 1924

When they arrived in Karachi, Vajifdar took Padri to Pilamai's house because he was still terribly ill and Nervous was assigned to look after him.

Meanwhile, Meher Baba and the remaining 3 men had their luggage arrive at the railway station from the dock. The men all rested in the waiting room of the station until their train the Quetta Mail was ready to leave. Later, Vajifdar returned to join the group which made 4 of Baba's men Mandali (close ones).

The remaining men mandali were Adi, Gustadji, Masaji & Vajifdar.

LM p.603

MEHER BABA          ADI K. IRANI        GUSTADJI HANSOTIA  "MASAJI"  IRANI    HORMUSJI VAJIFDAR

1926 Meher Baba at Meherabad, India. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.

Karachi Railway Station. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.

Map show the various routes taken between 22nd Feb to late March 1924. Map graphics by Anthony Zois.

 Map shows the rail route taken from Karachi to Lucknow, India in mid-March 1924. Map graphics by Anthony Zois.

Mid-March continued

The train later left Karachi for Hyderabad ( Sind ), then changed trains for Jaipur and onto Lucknow. Here, Baba went to the bazaar there looking for sandals, but was disappointed with what was being offered. Baba was still wearing the woolen Kamli coat that Yeshwant Rao had given him and the sandals that Kanhoba Rao made back in India prior to travelling.

Masaji did all the cooking for the group including the teas.

RD p.301

The above image of the Kamli coat is how it appears in the Meherabad Museum. Baba had worn the coat for about 10 years and was constantly patched up by the women mandali.

 

continued

 

Leaving Lucknow, they proceeded to Raxaul which a frontier station on the Nepalese border. They discovered that they had missed the entry date by a few days. Baba had sent telegrams to various government authorities, but permission was not granted.

 

 

 

continued

They then decided to proceed to Maghar  (via Gorakhpur) and visit the tomb of the renown poet and Perfect Master Kabir, staying for 2 days. Baba had the men feed 50 poor people here, all the surplus provisions were distributed which made their luggage considerably lighter.

There are 2 tombs for Kabir in the Maghar, one for the Hindus and one for the Muslims.

Baba had to intervene on a quarrel here between 2 groups of travelling sadhus (spiritual aspirants). He told them sternly on how to behave when one lives the life of a pilgrim.

RD p.302

Babri Masjid, Faizabad, India. This mosque was destroyed by fanatical Hindus in 1992 & later a Hindu temple was built. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.

Rail map shown the route from Maghar to Cawnpore, India. Map graphics by Anthony Zois.

continued

When the train arrived at Itarsi, Meher Baba got down alone. As instructed, the men mandali travelled to their assigned destinations.

Baba roamed about the town and surrounding countryside, coming across other spiritual masters. After a week, near the end of March, Baba returned and joined the mandali at Meherabad, near Arangaon.

This concludes Adi K. Irani's account in Ramjoo's diary.

RD p.303

This period of Meher Baba being by himself was very rare, the only other time during his advent was when he disappeared for about a day while visiting Istanbul in 1931.

Nothing is known of what he did, or who he met or said anything.

Webmaster

On 26th March, Ramjoo Jaffer received a telegram from Meher Baba to come to

Meherabad at once. As he was about to leave, he got a severe fever, very weakened and barely to be able to walk, his family protested to him, he still boarded the train from Lonavla to Ahmednagar at 2:30pm. He reached Baba's camp at 10:30 that night. His fever has slightly subsided.

The next day, Baba told Ramjoo that he's decided to stay near to Arangaon and he wanted him to move there and arrangements were being made to him to be occupied so he could support his family. Because of a coming wedding, he was to stay till the 7th of April at his home and then move.

     RAMJOO                    ARJUN                CHOWDHARI         KONDIRAM               VISHNU

April 13th was the Hindu festival for Rama-Navri. A canopy was erected at Baba's newly erected room - Jhopdi, later many from Poona arrived for the occasion.

Baily, Barsoap, Padri, Masaji, Khan Saheb, *Kaikushru along with **Bhikolya and his singing party.

RD p.307

LM p.608

*  It is assumed that Kaikushru mentioned is Gulmai's husband, who had owned the land of Meherabad, prior to Meher Baba's arrival.

**There is no known image of Bhikolya

     BAILY                       BARSOAP             PADRI                    KHAN SAHEB           KAIKUSHRU

Mid- April continued      - April is the middle of Summer

Someone proposed there should be a distinctive sign to be displayed and to wear coloured clothing by all those who were devoted to Meher Baba, Upasni and Babajan.

Baba was not in favour of it. "Ours is not a society. Any mark of distinction would robus of our independence and would prove a binding yo restrict our minds."  Hence the idea was dropped and the meeting was dissolved.

The festivities lasted several days, with many stories told of past Masters, singing and lectures on spirituality. One evening Baba made several essential messages, including the following extract - "Once I settle here, the atmosphere of this place will be greatly heightened spiritually and materially. I have a 'great mission' to perform, in my life for the benefit of humanity, the outcome of which will be observed in the near future".

On the 14th April at 11am, a mass feeding started and continued till evening, nearly a thousand poor and destitute persons were fed. The food was cooked by Chowdhari and others. Kondiram had returned to his ill mother.                                         LM p.608

The following day 15th April, a meeting was held to suggest a name for Baba's newly built one room hut. He suggested the name "Jhodpi" (hut). Others referred to it as 'Agra Kuti' ( 1st hut).           * see the above images of the hut.

They also agreed to name the 3 animals that Mehera's mother Daulat had brought to Meherabad. The white horse was called 'Sufi', the white dog 'Sadhu' and the bullock 'Saint'. Many discourses were given during this time. Baba had made Ramjoo and Gustadji co-managers of Meherabad.

LM p.616

   DAULAT IRANI                                RUSTOM K. IRANI                     FREINY J. IRANI

 April continued 

 

 

On 20th April, Rustom had bought a copy of the Gujarati newspaper 'Akhbar', in which Sohrabji Desai reviewed Upasni Maharaj's biography.  He also wrote in the same paper, that he had met Meher Baba and fully believed that he was 'the coming of the Jagat Guru' - Master of the Universe, the Avatar.                                                              LM p. 615

 

The following day, 21st, Naval, Dina and her mother Rupamai arrived from Bombay. Gulmai who came daily, arrived with Rustom who bought a bundle of sweets and the happy news that his wife Freiny ( Mehera's sister) had given birth to a son. The Master named him after himself - Merwan.

 

The next day, 22nd, a mast ( a God intoxicated person) arrived, he was very thirsty and hungry. Baba gave him new clothes after feeding him and he was sent away. On another day, a mother and child came looking for food, they too were fed and given new clothes and sent away.

 

LM p.616

 

 

      SOHRABJI  DESAI                                DINA TALATI                                     NAVAL TALATI

April continued 

 

On the 23rd April, work was in progress to putting up a fence around the 'jhodpdi'(hut), with a pavement to protect the plants. A while ago, it was decided that a flag would be attached near the hut, as it is the custom with such places with spiritual sites.

What colour to use proved very divisive, the Hindus preferred a red flag, the Muslims -green and the Zoroastrians disliked both. Hence a compromise solution was given by Baba, that the flag be formed of 7 colours.A flag was prepared by Dina Talati.

After the work hours, the flag was hoisted at night.

 

As the flag stirred, Baba remarked, "Do you know why I suggested a seven-coloured flag? The seven colours represent the seven planes of consciousness." Meher Baba then specified the positioning of two of the colours: "Red should be at the bottom of the flag and sky blue at the top. Arrangement of the other five colours is your decision." Then he later added: "Besides representing the seven planes of consciousness, these colours also represent SANSKARAS -- impressions. The colours in the flag signify man’s rise from the grossest impressions of lust and anger -- symbolized by red -- to the culmination in the highest state of spirituality and oneness with God -- symbolized by sky blue."

 

Bhau Kalchuri LORD MEHER, Vol. Two, p. 619 Copyright 1987 AMBPPCT

 

April continued

The Satha brothers arrived on the 27th April, to see Baba. They were followers of Gandhi.

In the afternoon, Baba went to Happy Valley  for a drive with Munshi, Syedsahid, Adi and Rustom. Here, Baba described the spiritual 'circles' in his realm and how they function.

They returned at 8pm to Meherabad, with Munshi and Syedsahid* returning to Bombay and Nasik respectively. Ramjoo also returned to Lonavla via Dhond, with Baba's permission to attend a coming festival.

RD p.323

 *There is no known image of Syedsahib.

RAMJOO  JAFFER    MUNSHI RAHIM        ADI K. IRANI          RUSTOM K. IRANI     MAHATMA GANDHI

Ramjoo returned on the 9th May, Meher Baba had secluded himself in his hut and was fasting as well. 

Vishnu was stung by a scorpion and was treated, Baba gathered all at his hut and warned them about the scorpions but especially about snakes and to carry lights when they move about at night.

The following day ( 10th ), Padri was asked by Baba to tell everyone what to do if bitten by a snake, what treatment, including being taken to the local hospital in Ahmednagar for treatment.

On the 12 May, Choudhari decided he had enough and was leaving for Poona without any explanation even when Baba asked him what troubled him. Baba then asked if anyone else wanted to join him, no one responded.

RD p.324

  The map shows the rail route between Ahmednagar & Bombay. Map graphics by Anthony Zois.

  VISHNU DEORUKHAR     "PADRI"  FAREDOON DRIVER       CHOUDHARI            DR. GHANI MUNSIFF

May continued

Daulat Irani and her 2 daughters - *Mehera (17) and Freiny (20) came on the 19th May to stay for a couple of days. They were to share 2 rooms, with 3 other women, including

*Davla Masi.

Baba's jhodpi / hut was decorated with buntings, plantation leaves, etc, for Upasni Maharaj's birthday celebrations the following day.

The following day ( 20th ), Baba's brothers Jamshed and Beheram came and many others came as well for the celebrations, with temporary shading erected providing shelter from the hot sun. Devotional songs, bells, drums and other musical instruments filled the air for the joyous occasion. Later a rain shower came when 'prasad' ( blessed sweets from the Master ) were given out. Supper followed. Baba was still fasting.

On the 23rd, Dr. Ghani and *Abdul Tayeb arrived from Lonavla by car and placed it at Baba's disposal. Later, Baba gave Adi K. Irani permission to shave so he could attend his cousin's marriage that night. All the men including Baba, had beards and they were not allowed to shave.

RD p.332

* There is no known images of either Davla Masi or Abdul Tayeb.

* There is no known image of Mehera as a teenager. The image shown below is her as a young adult.

          DAULAT IRANI                                MEHERA J. IRANI                     FREINY J. IRANI

May continued

It was decided on the 26th May, to drive to Aurangabad then to Daulatabad and onto the Ellora Caves in 2 cars, departing at 5:30am with 13 man mandali. The remaining people at Meherabad were to continue with their daily routines.

Adi K. Irani wrote - on the way, they came across the Imampur Ghats, 12 miles from Imampur, halting at a village called Ghodegaon, where they took tea, then onto the town of Toka, finally arriving at Aurangabad and later finding a rest-place there.

RD p.333

6.                            TRIP TO  AURANGABAD

May continued

They had continuing car mishaps all the way to Daulatabad arriving at 6pm. Baba advised he wasn't keen travelling at night to the caves, so they returned to the rest house. Baba was not well during this time and had a sleepless night.

The following day, 27th May at 5am, the group all headed back to Meherabad, which consisted of more car troubles all the way.

During the next few days, Baba mentioned possibly going to Kashmir with the Mandali, then suddenly changed his mind and decide to travel to Quetta in one car, giving Sarosh* instructions for him to drive, etc.  Later that day, Sarosh returned from Ahmednagar after consulting his father who was totally against his son going anywhere with Baba.

*Sarosh's family owned a car dealership in Ahmednagar and he was the manager.

RD p.334-5

      SAROSH K. IRANI                                                          SAROSH MOTORS

The plan took a twist, they now planned on leaving on the 2nd June 1924 by rail to Bombay and then to Quetta.

The animals at Meherabad were all arranged to be offered to Upasni Maharaj at Sakori.

Baba along with *Ardeshir ( Director of Agriculture), Ghani, Ramjoo and Vajifdar had left for Ahmednagar Railway station in the morning and the train travelled to Bombay via Manmad, arriving at 12:30pm.

When they reached Deolali, the railway station after Nasik, they had to change carriages and through a series of mishaps with luggages, tickets, changing train, some of the men inadvertently boarded the train to Bombay without Baba and Ramjoo.

Deolali was one several major British Army bases that provided treatment for battle wounds and training. This had been operational since the Boar War, and was well know throughout the service. Many servicemen, were accommodated here shortly after the WW2 to be deployed back to the country they had came from.

Baba and Ramjoo went to the nearby bazaar and hired a car to take them to the next railway stop of Lahit, some 4-5 miles / 6-8 kms away towards Igatpuri. Again, mishaps occurred, their hired driver eventually go lost and then Baba and Ramjoo decided to leave the car and walked across fields carrying their belongings to the nearby railway station.

When they arrived at Lahit, a tiny rural town, the Station Master was taken by Baba's appearance and of his connection to Sai Baba of Shirdi. Food and refreshments were provided by him, Baba insisted that the Station Master take RS.10/- that he offered as a gift. A nearby man came over and sang songs for over an hour for Baba and many others also came to listen.

Ramjoo telephoned from the station to Igatpuri where the other men were waiting.

Later, Baba and Ramjoo boarded the next train, met the waiting men and proceeded to Bombay arriving in the morning of the 4th June.

They put up at the Irani Mansions No.6 at Dadar, Bombay.

RD p.337-340

* There are no known images of Ardeshir

Deolali is 17 kms / 10 miles from Nasik to the East.

DR. GHANI MUNSIFF       RAMJOO JAFFER          HORMUSJI VAJIFDAR               ADI K. IRANI

      DEOLALI  R.S.                               LAHIT  R.S.                                       IGATPURI  R.S.

June continued...

Ghani was told by Baba to wait at his home in Lonavla and to come later.

On the 6th June, Adi had arrived in Bombay, joining the group and the following day ( 7th ) they departed for Quetta on the Gujarat Mail train to Delhi. In the evening they changed trains at Marwar Junction, detaching from the Delhi Mail train and attaching to the J.B. Railway train which proceeded to Hyderabad (Sind), crossing the Rajputana desert.

RD p.341

June continued...

Arriving 8th June in Hyderabad in the morning. Baba had a telegram telling Rusi Irani saying he and 3 others will arrive in Quetta on the 9th and to keep their arrival very private.

They boarded the Quetta Mail train, arriving at Sibi Junction on the following morning and arrival in Quetta at 5pm. Rusi pulled some strings with the police at Sibi to fast process Baba and his men through the security.

Rusi gave them lavish hospitality, which they needed.

The garden land that they seen on their previous trip was not available and it was too icy, so it was decided to go to Sukkur. Ramjoo and *Adeshir took the train to the town on the 11th June, with a letter of introduction to man called *Mobedji.

When they arrived they settled into a traveller's shelter and they found this man, he passed them onto many others who were very hospitable and sympathetic , but the land upon inspection was not suitable, especially in the hot summer. They inspected more lands by the backs of the Indus River and other locations. They continued on the next day - 12th, still inspecting more lands.

They continued to the town of Rohri on the 13th June. The next day ( 14th ), they returned to Quetta. They soon discovered that Baba and a local man had already left for Sukkar last night.

RD p.343-4

* There are no known images of Ardeshir or Mobedji.

        SIBI  RAILWAY STATION                                              QUETTA RAILWAY STATION

             SUKKUR RAILWAY STATION                                                     ROHRI RAILWAY STATION

 

 

June continued...

 

Meher Baba returned to Quetta on the 15th June, not pleased that the men weren't there to meet him Sukkur, his reply to Ramjoo's message before returned to Quetta had been misplaced by the station staff. Baba had purchased some land with the assistance of *Holaram and *Rustomji.

Baba had also visited the tomb of a renowned Muslim local saint - Bachal Shah.

 

That evening Baba and the party went for a motor spin around Quetta. Baba told Ramjoo to go back to Sukkur and visit the saint's tomb and look  for a suitable house to stay.

 

RD p.345

 

* There are no known images of Holaram & Rustomji.

 

    Syed Bachal Shah       Syed Bachal Shah Shrine, Sukkur, Pakistan       Hazrat  Babajan

 

June continued...

 

On the 17th June, Ramjoo arrived in the morning, he selected a bungalow and took a 6 month lease. He then went to the plot of land that Baba had bought when he encounted a lady who similarities to Perfect Master Babajan in Poona. She was muttering inaudible words, when she asked him "Who is your Master ?", he replied Meher Baba. She then uttered "King Emperor" and began muttering again.

She had been devoted to Bachal Shah when he was alive, she had left her family and was addressed as Mastani Mai. Ramjoo found the man that was absorbed in Bachal Shah's tomb when Baba visited. Ramjoo gave him Rs5/- (5 rupees), which Baba had given him prior.

 

Then another saintly person appeared who was known as Mustanshah. He began asking Ramjoo about his family and other from his home town in Lonavla. Ramjoo was bewildered. The man said he had spent some time at Lonavla and told him many observations he had made.

In the afternoon, Ramjoo rowed in a boat with a local guide to Sat-Bela ( Sadhu-Bela ), visiting a Hindu place of worship. He met with the head of the institute there and gave him the present Baba had given him for this purpose. This institute fed scores of needy people.

Ramjoo left Sukkur for Quetta by the 10pm train.

 

 

 

This place in Sukkur was to be the Baba's new seat, but many preferred the temperate climate of Karachi. Loads of trunks, etc arrived and stored in Sukkur. By the 30th June, most of the Mandali had arrived in Sukkur.

Khodadad Farhad ( Nervous ) had a fever due to Sufi the horse had struck his knee and it got infected. Even though he was getting medical care from a European surgeon, from when he first arrived. He was then declared to have typhoid. Baba spent considerable time with. On the 16th July, Nervous passed away, when Baba had arrived in Mach ( Machh ).

Funeral arrangements had been taken care of.

Mach township is between Quetta & Sibi on the same railway line. All the above towns mentioned are now part of Pakistan.

Baba arrived in Karachi on the 17th July. The following day 18th July, a large bungalow

was arranged near the botanical garden & zoo, with the rest of the Mandali arriving soon. Baba also inspected other plots of land in view for their permanent stay.

On the 19th July, Baba and the party went Maghar-Pir ( Manghopir ) about 10 miles from Karachi by car.

This place had a shrine to a well-known saint and also several hot-water springs with many believing in the curing powers of the waters. Also found were many lepers hoping to be cured.

The rest of the group had arrived from Quetta including their luggage from Sukkur on the 20th July, and all agreeing that all transactions were cancelled and all parties rewarded sufficiently.

RD p.346-351

KARACHI GARDENS & ZOO

July continued...

On the 21st July, Meher Baba departed by trian for Bombay, and on the 25th July after he had arrived at the Irani Mansion it was decided that the large group that had been with Baba, to be dispersed and return to their respective homes.

Only about 6 men remained with Baba to keep him company for his future activities. The ladies were asked to stay at Sakori with Upasni Maharaj until they returned from their tours.

There were certain stipulations for the 4 men who to tour with Baba. They were to provide themselves  with the necessary clothing, bedding, etc, but once on tour nothing new was allowed to be purchased. So they made their way to Poona, where this new stage was to come into effect. Padri was made manager for all the  arrangements.

RD p. 351-2

7.                        Early AUGUST  1924

                      JOURNEY TO SOUTHERN INDIA

Meher Baba departed Poona in the *early-afternoon of 2nd August for Raichur by train  ( central southern India ). Many had come to the railway station to see Baba and his 4 men companions.

They were ; Beheramji Irani, Padri Driver, Gustadji Hansotia and Baily Irani.

Soon afterwards, Baba changed his mind and wanted to go to Madras ( Chennai ) instead, so the difference of the rail tickets was paid. They arrived at 9:30 am on the *3rd Aug. at Madras Central Station, they moved then to the Shaikh Sidiqui Choultry rest house near the station.

Madras ( now Chennai ) is on the southern-east coast of India.

Here, Baba made preparations to visit Porto Novo ( Parangipettai ) on India's south-east coast, south of Madras, which recently had devastating floods, causing damage to lives and property. They left the following night 4th Aug. for the Madras Beach station of the S.I. Railway.

Upon arrival, there were vast crowds clamouring to travel and after many attempts to purchase tickets, they discovered that there were none available, so they returned to the rest house.

RD p353-5

Please note : The book "Ramjoo's Diary" does not state who is actually the diary keeper for this journey.  *The book mistakenly gave an arrival time in Madras of 9:30pm 3rd Aug. Travelling at an average of about 50-60 kms an hour for 1,092 kms, the arrival time in Madras would be 9:30am, 3rd.Aug. A 12 hour difference.

Times & distances are shown in the next section below. Webmaster

August 1924 Historical Time

1st Aug : Born - Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia from 2005 to 2015 

2nd Aug : Born - Carroll O'Connor (John Carroll O'Connor), American TV actor known for portraying Queens resident Archie Bunker in the situation comedy All in the Family, and other films. (d. 2001)

-- James Baldwin, American novelist, non-fiction author and playwright known for the novel Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953), and the book Notes of a Native Son (1955); in Harlem, New York City (d. 1987)

3rd Aug : Amanullah Khan, King of Afghanistan, declared a jihad war against six tribes who had commenced the Khost rebellion,

-- A group of 150 Soviet troops crossed the border into Poland and attacked the town of Stołpce.

Died : Joseph Conrad (pen name for Józef Konrad Korzeniowski), 66, Polish-born British novelist known for Lord Jim and other works.

4th Aug : The first Women's International and British Games, also called the "Women's Olympiad", was held in London with women from six European nations (Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Italy, Switzerland at the UK) competing.

 BEHERAM H. IRANI        PADRI DRIVER             GUSTADJI HANSOTIA            BAILY IRANI

August continued ...

The following railway station name signs are in order of travelling from Poona to Ooty.

The distance between Poona and Madras by train  is about 1,095 kms / 680 miles. This takes between 18.5 & 19.5 hours by today's trains.

The distance between Madras and Ooty by train is about 503 kms / 312 miles. This takes about 15 hours today.

The total one way is about 1,600 kms / 990 miles and takes about 33-35 hours today's trains.

The Madras sign was not available to be included with the other signs below.

Some of the towns travelled through by Meher Baba will also have a web page for them with extra details featured.

Total trip: 2,101 kms / 1,304 miles

 August continued ...

The next day, 5th August they decided to go to Nilgiri Hills instead, some 330 miles away (532 kms). This is located on the western side of southern India, south of Mysore (Mysuru). They departed on the 5th Aug. at 6:30pm for Ooty, travelling 3rd class. Baba slept that night on part of a bench.

Some time in the early morning, they thought they were heading towards Metropalayam Junction (Mettupalaiyam), but they found they were heading in another direction, because while they slept, their carriage was attached to another train. They eventually arrived at this junction on the 6th. Baba referred to this place as "Petroleum".

RD p355

July 1924 Historical Time

5th Aug : The German delegation, including Chancellor Wilhelm Marx and Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann, joined the London reparations conference.

August continued ...

Baba had a bad stomach upset during this travelling. At 12:15pm, they changed to the miniature train on a narrow rail gauge, to take them up to the hills, reaching Ooty at 3:30pm and at a height of 7,250 feet (2,210 metres) above sea level, and it was very cold.

There were no suitable hotel lodgings anywhere, those that were available, were too unsanitary. They sought permission and they slept the night in an empty train carriage parked on a siding. They left Ooty at 6:20pm after touring the nearby area and returned by train to Coonoor at 7:45pm.

That night, Baba had a fever all night, and by the next morning 7th August, he insisted on walking, to "Petroleum", some 21 miles (34 kms) away, leaving at 7:20am. Along the way, they had lunch and Baba told Padri "Don't ever become a Baba if you can help it".

RD p356

8.                        TRIP TO CALCUTTA   11-12th August

Meher Baba and his men arrived at Howrah, a suburb of Calcutta at 5 pm, 11th August. They first went to the Moghuls Hotel near the station, staying on the 1st Floor, but the place was filthy, so they moved to the Punjabi Hotel taking a 2nd class room. It was very run-down but clean compared to the others. That night they took a joy ride and did some sight-seeing for 2 hours before returning to their hotel.

      Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa                                Swami Vivekananda

August continued ...

The next morning - 12th August, they went to Dakshineshwar after crossing the Hooghly River in a launch, to a place associated with Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa ( 1836-1886) were his disciple - Swami Vivekananda's lived. When they arrived they saw a blind beggar sitting, very neglected, in a dirty place. Baba and his men removed him, cleaned him, then fed and placed him in a better place. They then proceeded to Ramakrishna's Mission visiting  Belur Math the main temple of the Mission, which is situated by the shores of the river.

Baba instructed his men to pay their respects at the room which was once occupied by Shri Ramakrishna. The other rooms were occupied by Vivekananda and others of their circle. They also visited a small tomb which had a small photo of Ramakrishna, Baba gave the caretaker some instructions on how to do devotional exercises. They then returned to their hotel.

LM p.670

RD p.358

Madras to Howrah : 1,661 kms / 1,032 miles ( rail )

9.                         TRIP TO  KASHMIR  

                     13th August - 9th September

 On the 12th August at 7:30pm, Meher Baba and his 3 men left Calcutta from Howrah Station for Hardwar ( Haridwar ), taking 2 days  to reach. The next day, they changed into the O. & R. Railway at Moghul Sarai Junction, near Benares,  They arrived at Hardwar on the 14th August.

They went to a Hindu travellers' house, but there were no available rooms. However, they were allowed to stay in one part of the verandah. After some time they went to bathe in the sacred Ganges River, but the water at the bathing steps were in a muddied condition, so they returned to the shelter.

* Howrah to Hardwar : 1,517 kms / 943 miles ( rail )

August continued ...

They later hired a Ford taxi car to take them to Rishikesh, about 14 miles / 23kms away, where a number of ascetics lived. The car was very run-down, especially the seats which were torn. In addition, the tyres began deflating and the engine had problems. They decided to take a more costlier and better car instead.

The road was rough and zig-zagged all the way to Rishikesh. When they arrived, Baba bowed to many pilgrims and lepers as he had been doing throughout his tour.

He also had a conversation with an ascetic known as Nepali Baba.

From there they walked to the foot of the Himalayan to a rope bridge ( about 9 miles / 15kms), and then proceeded to the village of * Laxman Zula ( known as the Cradle of Luxman ).

At 1pm, they went back to Hardwar. Once there, they planned a foot journey to Sakori.

Adi and Vajifdar were telegrammed with instructions for Vajifdar to meet them at Lakhsar

( Laskar ) .

* The modern name is Lakshman Jhula & the Rope bridge is now a Suspension bridge named the Janki Bridge. A point of interest, near the village is the ashram the Beatles attended in early 1968.

LM p.671

RD p.359

Note : The 284 ft rope bridge that Baba crossed the Ganges river was washed away 2 months after his visit. A suspension bridge was built in 1930.

The property that the Beatles & other celebrities visited in 1968 for meditation, is now a tiger's reserve.

* Hardwar to Rishikesh : 17 kms / 11 miles ( road )

* Rishikesh to Laxman Zula : 13 kms / 8 miles ( road )

Total return : 30 kms / 19 miles

10.                         TRIP TO  BARODA 

August continued ...

The next morning 15th August, at 6am, they went to the nearby railway station to wash themselves, because it was too dirty where they were staying. After washing up and having tea, Baba was still not eating. They began their walk towards Lakhsar ( Laskar ). 

Baba was not doing very well, but they continued, but with a heavy kit and a hot sun, they only achieved 10 miles. On arrival at Pathri Railway station, they camped in a meadow. Later on meeting some sadhus, Baba bowed down to them and gave advice. Padri removed a thorn deeply lodged in one of the sadhu's leg and bandaged it.

LM p.671-5

RD p.359-362

           PADRI  DRIVER                      SADASHIV PATEL                       HORMUZD VAJIFDAR

August continued ...

The next morning, 16th August, Baba was still not well; he had no sleep, but he still led the walk, leaving at 5:45am. After 4 miles, a long haired Muslim man approached Baba, and shook his hand before continuing. Baba said he was a 'Abdul', a spiritual agent for Baba's spiritual work. It then started to rain and they took shelter in a cabin near the tracks. They had breakfast, and when the rain stopped, they continued their walk.

Baba broke his fast after he had some hot chutney which he consumed to eliminate his dysentery. They reached Lakhsar at 1pm. After their 9 mile walk, they washed themselves at a public well, ate lunch at a Hindu restaurant and then rested at waiting room of the Railway station. Later they sought accommodation at a nearby Hindu resting place, but the stench of nearby gutters forced them to return to the Station, where they were allowed to stay for 2 days.

The next day, 17th August, Sadashiv Patel was telegrammed to meet them in Benares. Baba spent his time in the town looking for sadhus, bowing, etc. Vajifdar arrived at 4am on the 18th. They were all in agreement to end the foot journey and take the train for Moradabad at 1:30pm, arriving there at 6pm. It was estimated that Baba had bowed down to 5,000 pilgrims in the previous weeks.

In this town, Baba went looking for more sadhus. They met a 'mast' - God intoxicated man, who had not moved from his seated position for 4 years, defecating where he sat. They tried to bath him but he refused.

LM p.671-5

RD p.359-362

* Hardwar to Pathri : 13 kms / 8 miles ( road - walked )

* Pathri to Laksar : 14 kms / 9 miles ( road - walked )

August continued ...

They then departed for Bhopal the next day, 19th August, changing at Lucknow. Padri was sent to Benares to meet with Sadashiv, and from there he was to proceed to Baroda, where they would all join up.

* Laksa to Moradabad  - 141 kms / 88 miles ( rail )

August continued ...

Baba and the remaining men, changed trains at Jhansi and arrived in Bhopal on 20th Aug. in the afternoon, Baba again went to look for sadhus. Adi arrived from Ahmednager and pleaded with Baba to end his wandering and to come back to Meherabad. That night they left for Ratlam, Beheramji was sent ahead to Baroda (Vadodara) to make arrangements.

LM p.671-5

RD p.359-362

Note : The above paragraph mentions 3 distinct rail sections between Lucknow & Ratlam. The following list mentions these rail sections of this journey.

* Lucknow to Jhansi : 312 kms / 194 miles ( rail )

* Jhansi to Bhopal : 292 kms / 141 miles ( rail )

* Bhopal to Ratlam : 285 kms / 177 miles ( rail )

August continued ...

On the train to Baroda, Baba's health suffered so, after arriving, they decided to rest in Baroda for a couple of nights. They reached Ratlam in the morning of 22nd August. Here again, Baba walked about the train seeking sadhus and bowing down to them. They left Ratlam and reached Baroda at 8pm with all the men staying in the Gujarat Hindu Lodge in the Syaii Gunj.

Here Baba stated "After journeying to Mt. Abu, our tour will end and we will return to Meherabad and settle down".

Everyone was glad to hear that. Adi was sent back to Ahmednagar.

In Baroda, they went sightseeing, visiting the Maharaj's palace, museums, art gallery, etc.

Baba changed his plan stating "We will settle in the village of Sinhgarh near Poona. Sinhgarh is a suitable place for the permanent mandali to live. There we all can lead a quiet life since it is secluded and conveniently located with plenty of water. And, besides, it is Babajan's territory !"

LM p.675-6

RD p.363

* Ratlam to Baroda : 262 kms / 163 miles ( rail )

August continued ...

Meher Baba left 2 days later on 24th August at 10pm, and arrived in Ujjain on the 25th at 1pm. Later they found many sadhus on the banks of the Sipra (Shipra) River, lepers were there as well. Money was distributed to them after Baba bowed down to them.

Nearby there was a Shiva Temple on the banks, with some sadhus in a hut next to it. They later left Ujjain at 4pm and arrived at Mortakka south of Indore at 10pm, the same day.

*The nearest railway station to Mortakka is called Omkareshwar Road Railway Station.

* Baroda to Ujjain : 358 kms / 222 miles ( rail )

* Ujjain to Mortakka : 109 kms / 68 miles ( rail )

August continued ...

They slept on the railway platform  and the next morning, 26th August, they rode on a bullock cart to Omkareshwar ( an island in the Namada River ) some 9 miles away to the East; a famous Hindu place of pilgrimage "Mandhata" where Upasni Maharaj had meditated and entered a state of 'samadhi', which then led him to contact Perfect Masters Narayan Maharaj and Sai Baba.

Meanwhile, Padri had dysentery and had remained in the town, Baba was quite ill as well.

LM p.677

RD p.364

* Mortakka to Omkareshwar : 15 kms / 9 miles ( road - bullock cart )

Total return : 964 kms / 599 miles

Perfect Masters : Upasni Maharaj        Sai Baba of Shirdi                 Narayan Maharaj

26th August continued ...

In Omkareshwar, Baba met a Bengali 'pundit' ( a priest or scholar) named Nirmal Ananda Swami; the locals called him 'Mahatma' - a great soul.  Baba spoke in English with the Swami, telling him to disguise himself  so Baba could seek out other sadhus in the area, with his help. Sadhus were found and Baba bowed down to them.

Baba told Sadashiv to bathe in the Narmada River.

They returned to Mortakka ( Omkareshwar Road Railway Station ) at 10pm and departed for Baroda immediately.

The next day 27th August, when Baba's train halted briefly, a Muslim man insisted on meeting 'this man', Baba. After he had taken a block of opium with a chapatti, he shook his hand and started to loudly praise the virtues of Mt. Abu, Baba was impressed by this man and decided to go there.

Later that night, they all arrived again in Baroda  and stayed in the same hotel as before. Sadashiv returned to Poona on the same train.

LM p.677

RD p.364

August continued ...

The next afternoon, 28th August at 4pm, they walked to Pavagarh ( Pavagad ) town and further along reached the foot of the mountain ( Pavagarh Hills ) at 9pm. They made their way through a narrow jungle path reaching a dharmashla and rested for the night. A local policeman urged them all to sleep indoors due to wild animals roaming the jungle.

On the 29th, they awoke at 6am and soon began climbing the steep mountain. Fog had settled during their trek, and Baba was still very sick with his stomach, but he kept a brisk pace, stopping for tea a couple of times. After climbing for 3 miles, they reached the summit and the Hindu temple ( Kalika Mata Temple ) at the top, which was dedicated to 'Kali' - the mother of the Universe.

Baba and the Mandali went into the temple and bowed down to the 'Divine Mother'.

Beyond the temple was the tomb of a Muslim saint *Sajjan Shah Wali, Baba led the men inside and they bowed down on the saint's tomb.

They then hiked to the ruin fort of Pavaghad. They all took in the scenic views of the mountain range and valley and then Baba talked to the men sbout whether they should move there permanently or at the Sinhgad forts near Poona. They then descended the mountain at 12pm and had lunch. They then returned to Baroda at 8:15pm, staying at the Gujarat Lodge.

Baroda to Pavaghad : 55 kms / 34 miles ( rail & walked )

Total return : 110 kms / 68 miles

 Webmaster

In the original text in both publications of Ramjoo Diaries & Lord Meher Vol 2, they mention going to Mt. Abu from Pavaghad. The actual location of Mt. Abu in Rajasthan is some 343 kms / 213 miles away. What I believe they were actually implying was that the mount at Pavaghad is the Gujarat version of the actual Mt. Abu. The mention of Mt. Abu in text from the start of the first paragraph above, was removed.

* There is no mention of Sajjan Shah Wali's tomb at Pavagadh, but there was of Sadan Shah Pir.

Sajjan Shah Wali's tomb is located in Jalgaon, some 443 kms / 275 miles away from Baroda.

The old structure when Baba visited in 1924 contained both temples, but in 2022 the tomb of Sadan Shah Pir was dismantled and moved elsewhere and a whole new temple was built. This is part of the Hindu Nationalist policy to ancient shrines.

In the original texts, it's stated they "hiked to a fort" after visiting the temple.

Not sure where this fort is, possibly near Champaner.

The road-path from the village of Pavaghad to the Kalika Mata Temple is a long convoluted trek, especially a century ago, due to the terrain.

August continued ...

The next day, 30th August, Baba said to the men " Oh God, I am not a Baba!" and then cried out "It is you who have bestowed Baba-hood upon me ! Now sadhus and saints want to crush me !"

It appeared later, all these calls, etcetera, were just Baba goading Padri who was 21 y.o.

He had many disturbing thoughts about spirituality ever since he took the animals- Sufi & Saint to Upasni Maharaj, who would abuse him terribly, this had shaken Padri, very much.

On the 9th September, Baba left Baroda after 18 days and headed for Bombay by train. Adi was telegraphed instructing him to meet them at Vajidfar's home in the Irani Mansion in Dadar. They stayed there for a week; a permanent residence still was not decided.

 * Baroda to Bombay : 394 kms / 244 miles ( rail )

Total trip : Hardwar to Bombay : 2,817 kms / 1,750 miles

11.                         TRIP TO  GOA  

September continued ...

After a few days, Baba decided to go, by train, to Goa with some of the Mandali by train. Padri stayed in Bombay, but Vajidfar, Gustadji, Beheramji and Masaji left for Panjim, via Poona, on the 14th September, travelling on the M. & S.M. rail line. They halted in Londa, due to Vajidfar's fever.

When they arrived at Castle Rock Station, all their luggage, except for Baba's bed roll, was disinfected using steam. On the way to Marmagao, they viewed the Dudhsagar Waterfalls. Masaji was looking after Vajidfar. They left the train at the port of Marmagao, and then took a steam-boat, taking a couple of hours to get to Panjim. They stayed at a Christian hotel.

There were many churches in Goa, especially the Good Jesus Basilica, which contained the mummified body of Francis Xavier, who's revered as a saint. Baba made an extensive tour of the church, even climbing the dark stairs to the high dome.

LM p.680

RD p.365

Note : In the original text, it's stated they visited the 3 Waterfalls. The actual waterfalls they did visit were the Dudhsagar Falls, sometimes referred to as 4 Waterfalls. The 3 Waterfalls are located over 200 miles further south.

* Bombay to Poona : 169 kms / 105 miles ( rail )

* Poona to Londa : 468 kms / 291 miles ( rail )

* Londa to Mormugao : 109 kms / 68 miles ( rail )

* Mormugao to Panjim : 11 kms / 7 miles ( boat )

Total : 757 kms / 470 miles

Total return to Bombay : 1,514 kms / 940 miles

 Click on images to enlarge and descriptions

12.                     RETURN TO  MEHERABAD  

October 1924

After staying in Goa for 3 days, they left on the 3rd October, returning to Bombay via the same route by which they arrived. They arrived in Bombay on the 4th October, where they stayed initially at the Irani Mansions. During October and November, Baba travelled several times between Bombay and Ahmednagar. The plan to move to Sinhgad was stopped.

Meher Baba started to visit a cotton mill named Akbar Press, in Ahmednagar, which was the family home of Nusserwan Satha.  Baba's mail would be addressed there and Nusserwan would forward it to him at Meherabad. In the years that followed, the Satha and later the Jessawala families became very significant in Baba's life.

Later, the 2 men who were leaders of Arangaon, the town nearest to Meherabad, introduced the villagers to Meher Baba.

On 18th November, Baba observed silence for a week, staying in his Jhopdi / hut which was locked, while Padri kept watch all day outside. Everyone kept away from him, except Padri.

Bombay to Poona to Dhond to Ahmednagar to Meherabad : 328 kms / 204 miles

Return distance : 656 kms / 407 miles

X 3 visits =  1,968 kms / 1,221 miles ( 3 times return - each visit 656 kms )

13.                       LIVING IN BOMBAY 

December 1924

In the first week of December, Baba travelled with Padri, Masaji and Gustadji to Bombay. They rented a room at the Bharucha Building, and stayed there into January 1925.

Baba had arranged, prior to his visit to Persia, for Mehera, Naja and Daulat to come and stay with him, and share a room. They were to cook the meals. Baba was still fasting and occasionally ate, but he remained on liquids, mostly warm water mixed with sugar.

      DAULAT IRANI                 MEHERA IRANI                    NAJA IRANI           CHANJI DADACHANJI

December continued.....

One day in December, Baba instructed Chanji to take Mehera, Naja and Daulat to see a film at his Madelaine Cinema, which he owned. They were wearing ordinary saris and as they were leaving, Baba remarked to them, "Have you all turned into nuns ? Do clothes have any connection with spirituality ? NO !  Change your clothes and then let's go! "

The ladies were happy, putting on their finest saris and they went with Baba to the cinema.

Baba only watched half the film and they returned to their residency. During this month, Chanji was asked to sell his cinema, and after disposing of all of his worldly possessions, to come and stay permanently with the Mandali.

During December, Baba would take walks in the Victoria Gardens every day for a week along with Mehera, Khorshed, Dina and Soonamasi. One day, as he was coming down through the planes, he pointed to a bench in the park. A man accused him of staring at his family. The ladies all laughed. He later kept silent for another week and no-one was to enter his room. Gustadji kept watch. This was the 4th time ha had kept silent, twice in May at the Jhopdi, once in November and now in December.

LM p.683-6

     KHORSHED                  SOONAMASI              DINA TALATI                 MADELAINE CINEMA        

14.                       TRIP TO  BELGAUM

December continued....

A 'Qawaali' musical programme was held outside their house, with Baba listening to it. Baba recited the whole programme to the women, he had a melodious voice and said "One should get so drowned in the love of the Divine Beloved, that one is unaware of anything else. There is no rule underlying this path except for the lover to consider the Divine Beloved's pleasure as his own".

Later in December, Baba travelled to Belgaum in the south of Bombay with only his uncle Masaji, and after roaming the town, they returned to Bombay.

LM p.687

RD p.366

* Bombay to Belgaum : 596 kms / 370 miles ( rail )

Total return to Bombay : 1,192 kms / 740 miles

August to end December 2024 Travelling

Poona to Madras & Sth India tour : 2,101 kms / 1,304 miles ( rail & walking )

Madras to Howrah : 1,661 kms / 1,032 miles ( rail )

Howrah to Hardwar : 1,517 kms / 943 miles ( rail )

Hardwar to Bombay : 2,817 kms / 1,750 miles ( rail & walking )

Bombay to Goa return : 1,514 kms / 940 miles ( rail & boat )

Bombay to Ahmednagar : 1,968 kms / 1,221 miles ( 3 times return - each 656 kms )

Bombay to Belgaum return : 1,192 kms / 740 miles ( rail )

TOTAL DISTANCE : 12,770 kms /  7,935 miles

This concludes the very hectic year of 1924.

Click these buttons to visit the pages in "Locations Gallery "  about this visit to Persia by Meher Baba .

Ship travelled on to visit these destinations ;