Meher Baba's Life & Travels
HYDERABAD, PAKISTAN
( previously British India - Pre 1946 )
Meher Baba first visited Hyderabad on the 7th June 1923. He has stays were very brief. Hyderabad (
Sind ) is a rail hub to various towns in Western India, at the time.
The various visits will be mentioned in a shortened version, only highlighting the actual town. For a more thorough version click on year 'button' below.
1st Visit to Hyderabad - 1923
25th May-24th June 1923 : Meher Baba's trip from Ahmednagar to Karachi & Quetta. Everyone on this page travelled with Baba to either Karachi or Quetta, Br. India. Map graphics by Anthony Zois.
On the morning of 25th May 1923, Baba ordered everything from Meherabad moved to Khushru Quarters. Only bedding rolls and small personal items were carried on their journey to Quetta. Baba and his party walked from Meherabad to Ahmednagar on a path that ran alongside the railway tracks reaching Ahmednagar Railway Station at 10:30am.
Many had gathered prior to Baba's arrival to bid him and his entourage of 5 women and 14 men farewell.
Lord Meher Vol.2 p.521
They left Ahmednagar by train at 12:30pm, reaching Manmad in the early evening.
Ramjoo's Diaries p.197 & Lord Meher Vol.2 p.523
The 14 men are shown in the following image taken prior to their trip from Bombay to Quetta.
The men are : Adi K., Babu Rao ( Cyclewalla ), Baidul, Abdul Rehman ( Barsoap ), Beheramji, Nervous, Padri, Pendu, Ramjoo, Jal ( Baba's brother ), Masaji, Gustadji & Slamson.
The 4 women are : Gulmai, Soona and her daughter Khorshed, Pilamai & her infant son Vithal.
30th May, 1923
They arrived the following morning ( 30th May ) at Bhatinda and changed trains for Samasatta and again changed trains at Samasatta ( now in Pakistan ) for the Karachi Mail train, arriving in Hyderabad ( Sind ) in the afternoon. The train later continued and arrived in the evening at Karachi. The train was packed like sardines when they boarded and the heat was terrible when they left.
On May 31st, the
train arrived in Karachi later that
morning, Pilamai's
husband Hormasji and others including Baily greeted Baba and the group at the railway station. Baba was
garlanded.
Baily's sister had
previously moved to Karachi and Baily had been sent ahead to help with the
arrangements.
They all then went in Victoria horse drawn buggies to Pilamai's house where they stayed. They washed and refreshed themselves. She later gave Baba and others a tour of the city and visited his paternal uncle Khodadad and his aunt Banu, who had moved from Bombay, they also visited Baily's sister at her home.
Ramjoo's Diaries p.199-202
2nd Visit to Hyderabad ( Sind )
They all packed their things and walked to the Quetta Railway Station, with the steam train was scheduled to leave at 4:55 am on 25th June 1923. The Quetta people had given them a hearty send-off.
When they arrived in Hyderabad ( Sind ), on the 26th June, they changed trains, ( the rail gauges changed a couple times, also ). Their luggage was weighed and again later when they changed trains at Marwar. Some rail personal were being very difficult, so much so when the station master ( who was a Brahmin ) arrived to see what the commotion was, he made his own inquiries, Baba then handed him a Urdu copy of Upasni Maharaj's new biography, when the station master saw Baba's picture in the book he quickly cleared the way for them to travel without further ado.
Ramjoo's Diaries p. 216-7
Lord Meher Vol. 2 p.540
June 1923 continued....
They arrived at Ahmedabad on the 27th June at 9:30 pm. Sadashiv, Asthma & Vajifdar were there to meet them at the station. Baba sent Gulmai, Khorshed, Soona & Sarosh to Ahmednagar along with their trunks, leaving on the Bombay train at 10 pm. He advised them to stay there until called upon. Sadashiv was sent back to Poona the following night and Vajifdar put on the new clothing attire for the walking journey.
They all took numerous motor lorries to move their belongings about a mile away, staying at a Parsi traveller's house, with Baba's Muslim men pretending to be their servants, so they too could stay.
Asthma was sent back home and would not contact Baba ever again.
Baba and the men arrived at Dadar Railway Station in Bombay at 5:30 am, 7th July. They were met at the station by Gustadji & Burjorji P. Dahiwala. They all proceeded to the nearby G.I.P. station where many of the Bombay followers gathered, including the Talati family, which included Dina's parents Hormusji & Rupamai Karani.
3rd Visit to Hyderabad ( Sind )
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
Mid-March 1924 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
Meher Baba returned to Meherabad in late March 1924.