2nd TRIP TO KARACHI, then BOMBAY , INDIA

 

November 11th, 1923

British India

 

Check-out the web page for the S.S. Vita on the website. S.S. VITA Click on the ship name.

 

 

 

November 1923 continued...

 

The following 2 days were spent cleaning themselves up and resting after the last gruelling walk. Baba suddenly decided to move out of the Khushru Quarters to the traveller's rest house near Ahmednagar railway station on the 4th November. All the men followed him there. Here they spent time planning the next tour to Persia ( later Iran ). It was agreed aby all, the 11 men accompany Baba to Karachi and stay there till February and then go to Persia. All had to sign a document that they were not to expect any external help, etc., on this trip. 

 

Ramjoo & Dr. Ghani were not bound this as per a previous agreement until Feb. 1924. They all agreed to leave by the 11th Nov. for Karachi.

 

On the 11th November , all the men made their way to the railway station and took the 12:30 pm train from Ahmednager, with only Rustom to see them off as per Baba's instructions. Rustom garlanded Baba prior to leaving. They all travelled 3rd class and reached Manmad in the evening and stayed in a shed nearby. At 10 pm, Baba and the men took the Nagpur Mail for Jalgaon, while Ramjoo was instructed to wait for Nervous to arrive from Ahmednagar, because he missed Baba's train earlier. Nervous arrived at 2 am, 12th November and they both left on the 2:30 am Calcutta Mail trian for Jalgaon, arriving at 5:30 am and meeting up with Baba and the men.

 

Later that morning, they departed at 8:30 am by the Bhushawal-Surat train. They passed Amalner where the G.I.P. railway changed into the Tapti Valley Railway. In the evening they passed Bardoli, a Gandhi movement centre. At 7:30 pm they reached Surat, here they moved their luggage to the opposite platform to take the train from Bombay to Ahmedabad. Baba and a few men went to the nearby bazaar, while they waited for their train. Here they encounted a pitiful young man, Baba instructed Ramjoo to feed him at a local hotel and purchase a train ticket for him to go back at Vadala. Baba's train arrived and they departed for Ahmedabad at 10 pm.

 

They arrived in the early morning of the 13th November.  Here Baba and some of the men went to the city and brought back some sweets and toast for the men, waiting back on the railway platform. At 8:50 am they departed on the train for Hyderabad-Sind that was attached to the Delhi Mail. At 7 pm, their carriage was attached to the J.B. Railway train at Marwar Junction. They soon left Marwar, still in the 3rd class carriage.

 

The train arrived in Hyderabad-Sind after travelling through the desert at 12:30 pm.,14th November.  Baba went off into the town with some of the men to find a place to stay, while the others waited at the railway station. Baba returned and said the town was smothered in sand, dust storms, very unsuitable, etc., and told the men to prepare to leave for Karachi, by train, which was due very soon. They got on the Quetta-Karachi Mail of the N-W Railway.

 

 

Ramjoo's Diaries p. 262-7

 

 

 

14th November, 1923 : Karachi, British India

 

They arrived at the Karachi Cantonment Station at 6:30 pm, Bailey had been wired by Baba to meet them at the station. Baba went off to choose from several places to stay that Baily has found. Baba settled on a bungalow at No. 2445 Soldier Bazaar. Victoria carriages were hired to move the luggage. That night they slept on the floor.

 

The following day, 15th November, all went to work to clean the bungalow. Baba & Baily named the place Halt Ho. Rent was paid for 2 months to the landlord. The next day 16th November, Baba abruptly said they should immediately go to Basra, Persia and sent some of the men to arrange tickets on a steamer, see the landlord, etc.... But, news came later that making new arrangements were not possible, because the Persian Consulate was closed and news and also about the malarious mosquitoes infestations where they were planning to go.

 

On the 20th November, those not employed went with Baba to Cliffton Beach, but they only stayed for 15 minutes and returning to Halt Ho. The day was scorching hot. Dr. Ghani was granted permission on the 21st to return to Poona due to the poor state of the housing. Baba said he could go and return whenever he wants to. He left the same day by train.

 

Vajifdar had written a letter stating that Navrozji ( Naval Talati ) had gone to the Persian Consulate in Bombay to get endorsements for the men's passports. on the 17th November.

 

*** The Consul refused to endorse them unless he saw all of men personally, except Baba, who had already was seen and endorsed a couple of days earlier. Baba had never been to the Consulate and had not seen the Consul.

 

Baba decided they should all leave the next day, 22nd November for Bombay by steamer ship. Baba said, "Now we should all leave at once for Poona !" Everyone packed up their belongings in a mad rush. They all embarked at 4:12 pm on the ship S.S. Vita, they were booked on the top deck with all their luggage. There were about 800 passengers on board.

Instead of spending 2 months in Karachi they spent 8 days. During the voyage to Bombay, it was very cold at night with ferocious winds blowing all the time. It was a miserable trip.

 

The following day, 23rd November, they approached the Kutch Mandvi on the coast at 7 am, and then proceeded towards Dwarka, passing it at 12:30 pm with the ship later docking at 4:30m at Porbandar.  On the voyage, a Parsi man took exception to the way the men were on board. He wrote a very unflattering article in a Parsi newspaper on the 30th December., which was full of untruths about Baba and the men. When they were approaching Bombay, Baba indicated that he wanted to be in seclusion at an unknown railway station for part of the day, unknown by most of the men.

 

They arrived at Victoria Dock, Bombay at 11:30 am on the 24th November 1923.

 

 *** Meher Baba at another time, when he was explaining some of the attributes of the Avatar, he stated that the Avatar was the only one that had a "Spiritual body" and that he could manifest anywhere.

 

Ramjoo's Diaries p. 267 - 73

Lord Meher Vol. 2  p.577 - 82