Meherabad Upper-1, MS, India

1

Meher Baba at Upper Meherabad with his dog Chum. Image rendered by Anthony Zois.

CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE

SAMADHI ( TOMB )

TIN CABIN

GRAVES

1941 : Meherabad. Original B/W photo taken by Panday.

1941 : Image rendered & enhanced by Anthony Zois.

Meher Baba during seclusion at Meherabad on 1st August 1941. Image rendered by Anthony Zois.

B/W Photo by Panday. This image is also found in Lord Meher by Bhau Kalchuri - Vol.7-8 : p 2812

https://meherbaba8.wixsite.com/amisdemeherbaba/meher-baba-at-home-1960

1926 : Image rendered & enhanced by Anthony Zois.

AERIAL MAP OF MEHERABAD DISTRICT. Yellow marker shows location of Meher Baba's Samadhi. Map grahics by Anthony Zois.

CLICK ON ALL THE MAPS TO ENLARGE

Present-day aerial map of Ahmednagar District. Yellow marker show Meher Baba's Samadhi & Meherazad. Map grahics by Anthony Zois.

Meherabad up to the Retreat was probably taken in 1938 or 1939. Courtesy of the Jessawala Collection - AMB Archives, Meherabad, India.

Upper Meherabad, India. Image rendered by Anthony Zois.

1975 Amatithi ; photo taken by Anthony Zois

Aerial Photographs of Meherabad

2004 - path to Baba's Samadhi ; photo taken by Sher DiMaggio

Meher Baba's Tomb ( Samadhi ) - exterior

Image courtesy of MSI Collection ; Late 1937. Image rendered by Anthony Zois.

This photo was taken by Padri Driver of Meher Baba sitting on the east end of the crypt platform near His cabin ( which is on the right of the photo ).

The roof that can be seen above Him was left up over the crypt during His seclusion.

Upper Meherabad, India - 1927 : Meher Baba with boys from the Hazrat Babajan School seated in front of the crypt. Photo takeb by S.S.Dean - Courtesy of Beloved Archives - Flow International magazine Spring 2016 also LM page 955. Agha Ali with white cap.

Meher Baba with some of the boys from the Hazrat Babajan School near the crypt. Chhota Baba is seated to the right of Baba and Agha Ali is is front of Baba leaning his head.

Photo taken in the doorway of the crypt-cabin in late 1927. Image rendered by Anthony Zois.

Baba is standing next to the platform, which abuts the crypt-cabin on the left, in March or April 1928 - structure behind Baba's shadow in the middle Chhota Baba and Rajaram stayed - on the right is the Sadhak Ashram.

The crypt-room-door to the left-covered platform and Baba's Tin Cabin during His 1935 seclusion. Image rendered by Anthony Zois.

The Tin Cabin, behind which can be seen the tatta-matting around the crypt-room, in 1935 - Note the construction debris left in a pile because of Baba's seclusion- Photo taken by Padri. Image rendered by Anthony Zois.

Baba at Toka, India in 1928; Standing in front of the door that will later be transported to Meherabad and become the Samadhi door. Image courtesy of AMBPT Archives. Image rendered & enhanced by Anthony Zois.

August, 1938 - Tomb construction. Image rendered by Anthony Zois

Courtesy of George Fricker ; Jasmine at the Tomb

August 1938 : Meher Baba's Tomb under construction. Image rendered by Anthony Zois.

August or September, 1938. Image rendered by Anthony Zois.

1950s : Meher Baba in his Samdhi-Tomb. Image rendered & enhanced by Anthony Zois.

India : Great Darshan in June, 1969 - Rustom Dadachanji in foreground - Photo by Sam Ervin

2004 ; photo taken by Sher DiMaggio Zois

20th June 2024. Photo taken by Simon Reece

1988 ; southern side of the tomb. Photo taken by Anthony Zois

Looking north ; Tomb's rear view - 1988 ; photo by Anthony Zois

Meher Baba's Tomb ( Samadhi ) - interior

Meher Baba placed in his crypt on 31st January 1969. Blocks of ice surround his body.

Meher Baba was sourrounded by blocks of ice in his crypt to keep his body fresh for the 7 days he was uncovered from January 31st 1969.

Mehera Irani placing a garland around Meher Baba's photo.

1971-Mehera, Mani & Arnavaz placing garlands for Baba. Coutesy of the Clive Adamas Photo Achive

Original look after 1969 - fish-eye view

1977 : Interior of Meher Baba's Samadhi. Photo courtesy of Bobby Buggia

MEHER BABA'S Tomb interior after renovations. Dot Leskik did the resoration of the arkworks on the walls of the Samadhi.

Mid-1970s : Photo taken during the Eastern Darshan event - Photographer ; V.J. Nori s uncle. Courtesy of Alan Talbot

360 degrees image of the Tomb interior. Dot Leskik did the resoration of the arkworks on the walls of the Samadhi. Photo courtesy of Mikel.

Meher Baba's Samadhi ceiling restored in 1990s.

Charlie Morton's painting palced in the Samadhi

Painting of the interior of the tomb in the late 20th century by Laurie Blum

Mid-March 2020 - entry into the Samadhi was not allowed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

February 2023 : Courtesy of Norith Ladner.

The interior paintings of the Tomb were originally painted by Helen Dahm in mid 1930s.

The painting / image of Meher Baba wearing the white sadhra are a recent addition.

In recent years there has been attempts to repair the wall paintings with mixed opinions.

1969 - INTERMENT ( 7 days )

2nd Feb.1969 : Mehera Irani ( kneeling-R ) and Mani Irani ( kneeling-L ). Naja Irani standing behind Mehera and Meheru Irani behind Mani and Rano Gayley behind them.

January 31st, 1969 : Mehera Irani ( seated ) with Mani Irani ( standing ) and Roda Mistry. The record player is playing "Begin the Beguine" by Hutch Hutchinson. This was played 7 times as per Baba's instructions.

1970 : 1st Amartithi, the women are singing Baba's arti "Bujawe Naar Jallatani" otherwise known as the "Gujerati Arti"

Early February 1969 : ( L-R ) Rustom & Sohrab Irani, Dr.Harry Kenmore, Don Stevens, Delia DeLeon & Sarosh Irani

1969 : Mani in conversation with Eruch outside the tomb. The meditation cabins were still standing.

A view from the museum probably taken during the the Entombment in early February, 1969. Courtesy of Sriramamoorthy Collection & AMBCCPT.

( L-R ) Meheru, Mehera, Naja, Mani, Gulu Dastur( Kaikobad's daughter-purple dress ) Katie Irani ( blue dress ). Kacy Cook - rear right & Gordon Campbell -rear left.

PRESENT DAY

Feb. 2021 - newly cleaned Charlie Morton painting & freshly painted doors.

Feb. 2021 - Freshly painted doors. Cable is for the line-stream video

Feb. 2021 - Inside view - Helen Dahm's painted doors

Jane Viscardi Brown is singing the Gujarati Arti

Meher Baba's Tomb ( Samadhi ) - surrounding area

Samadhi from the Western side. Photo courtesy of V.B. Patil

Baba's Animal Graves

Old pet cemetry near Meher Baba's Samadhi at Upper Meherabad, India. Photo courtesy of Bobby Buggia

Baba's Cabin

Baba is standing on the Samadhi-side of the Tin Cabin foundation with Padri

2016 ; photo taken by Vijay Bothe-Patil‎

2016 ; photo taken by Vijay Bothe-Patil‎ just before the Amartithi celebrations

Courtesy of Heather Nadel's book "The Joyous Path"

VIDEOS

The following video is courtesy of Meher Baba Archives

Meher Baba at Meherabad paintings by Gregg Rosen

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Meher Baba Seated on Gaudi Upper Meherabad, 1927 ; Artist - Gregg Rosen

Meher Baba in His favourite Kamli Coat, Meherabad 1927 ; Artist - Gregg Rosen

Seclusion at Meherabad Hill, 1947 ; Artist - Gregg Rosen

http://greggfineart.com/

U.Meherabad ; water-colour by Anthony Zois 1985

MAPS

Meherabad (meher flourishing: "abad" meaning a prosperous settlement, or a flourishing colony) was originally an ashram established by Meher Baba near Arangaon Village, India in 1923 about 9 kilometres (6 mi) south of Ahmednagar. It is now the site of Meher Baba's samadhi (tomb-shrine) as well as facilities and accommodations for pilgrims. A large number of buildings mostly associated with the earlier decades of Baba’s work, the graves of disciples, and a range of pilgrim accommodation and charitable establishments are also there. Many Baba lovers work or live in the vicinity.^[1] The samadhi structure itself is located at 19°01′52.05″N 74°42′50.90″E.

Meherabad is a popular place of pilgrimage for both Eastern and Western followers of Meher Baba with reported numbers of around 30,000 annual pilgrims at Amartithi (the celebration of his death, January 31).^[2] The Meher Pilgrim Center and Meher Pilgrim Retreat located there are open to the public. There is also a free dispensary and school.

Established in May 1923, Meherabad was the first permanent residence of Meher Baba and his disciples in Ahmednagar district.^[3] In 1944 Meher Baba moved his residence north to Meherazad located 24 kilometres (15 mi) away on the other side of Ahmedagar.^[4]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meherabad