Meher Pilgrim Retreat
PILGRIM SEASON.
1. The summer schedule of the opening and closing of Hostel D and MPR is as follows:
a) Hostel D will remain closed for the summer from 15 March to 30 April. Hostel D will reopen the following pilgrim season from 1 May.
b) MPR. will remain closed for the summer from 1 May to 14 June. MPR will reopen for the following pilgrim season from 15 June.
2. Meherazad will be open for pilgrims till 14 March and will be closed from 15 March till 01 July.
Meherazad will reopen for the following pilgrim season from 02 July.
Meher Baba’s Tomb: Open all year round
Accommodations at Meher Pilgrim Retreat not available: 1 May to 14 June
Accommodations at Hostel D not available: 15 March to 30 April
ACCOMMODATION FACILITIES
There are three types of accommodations available at Meherabad for visitors coming on pilgrimage. These facilities are dedicated to Avatar Meher Baba and are available for Baba-lovers on pilgrimage to Meher Baba’s Samadhi and for those who come to learn more about Him. Most pilgrims come to stay for a few days, but longer stays are possible by permission.
MEHER PILGRIM RETREAT is located at upper Meherabad and can house a total of 200 pilgrims, with men and women accommodated in separate wings. Children aged two years complete and above are welcome, and children from abroad must be six years complete or older. Different sized rooms are available, up to four-bedded rooms. Common bathrooms and toilets are provided. Three meals a day plus tea twice a day are provided in a single large dining hall; vegetarian food, plus eggs, only. Pilgrims may request an initial reservation for up to one week; their stay may be extended if space is available. Those on longer visits may need to stay elsewhere when the Meher Pilgrim Retreat becomes full during very busy times.
HOSTELS C AND D are located at lower Meherabad. They consist of dormitory-style bays and can accommodate up to 200 pilgrims. For special events, the hostels are converted for accommodating larger numbers. Men and women are housed in separate bays. The bathing rooms are in separate blocks outside the main buildings. Toilets are located both inside and outside the main buildings. Hostel D has a dining hall serving three vegetarian meals per day, plus tea twice a day. Stay in the hostels is limited to two weeks each visit. A slightly longer stay may be arranged by permission.
THE DHARAMSALA, located at lower Meherabad, is one of the oldest buildings here, dating back to Baba’s time. Accommodation is in two dormitory halls, one for men and one for women. This facility does not have a dining hall, and pilgrims may arrange for meals at the Hostel D dining hall, or the MPR dining hall.
Reservations should be made by email Replies will be sent by e-mail. Short-notice reservations can be requested by telephone but are not usually confirmed on the phone. Reservations should be made well in advance. Reservations for Meher Pilgrim Retreat are best made approximately six weeks before expected arrival. Please read the Pilgrim Season information above before continuing. Please scroll down for contact information.
Please include the following information in all reservation requests:
• Full names, dates of birth, gender, and nationality of those coming.
• Residential addresses and telephone numbers.
• Emergency Contact (next of kin) name and number.
• Exact arrival date/time.
• Departure date/time from Meherabad.
• A few words of personal introduction, particularly for those who have not visited before.
Hostel “D”
Reservations for
Meher Pilgrim Retreat
Address: Pilgrim Reservations
Avatar Meher Baba Trust
King’s Road, Post Bag 31
Ahilyanagar, MS 414001, INDIA
E-mail: pimco@ambppct.org
Phone: +91-241-254-8736 or +91-241-2548733
Reservations for
Hostels or Dharmshala
Address: Hostel/Dharamsala Accommodations
Avatar Meher Baba Trust
King’s Road, Post Bag 31
Ahilyanagar, MS 414001, India
E-mail: jaibaba@ambppct.org
Phone: +91-241-2548777
Cable: MEHERBABA, AHILYANAGAR
Indian citizens with prior reservations can check-in at Meher Pilgrim Retreat between the hours of 9:00 am and 6:00 pm only. Visitors with reservations at Hostel D or Dharmshala may check in between 9:00 am and 10:00 pm. Persons arriving after these designated hours will have to make their own accommodation arrangements for that night in Ahilyanagar.
Non-Indians are required to complete passport sign-in formalities required by the Indian government, before checking in at any Meherabad accommodation facility. There are two Passport Sign-in office locations, one at lower Meherabad and one in MPR. The Pilgrim Reservation Office will guide new arrivals about the location for signing in. Hours for passport sign-in, for those with confirmed reservations, are 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Passport, visa or OCI document, and one small photograph of each person are required.
•Travel by Air. The nearest airports are at Pune and Aurangabad, both approximately two and one-half hours from Ahilyanagar, by road. The nearest international airport is Mumbai, approximately six hours by road to Ahilyanagar.
•Travel by Rail. Located on the Daund/Manmad railway line, Ahilyanagar is accessible by rail from many Indian cities, both to the north and south, including Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. Local rail service to/from Pune and Mumbai is not generally convenient as the trains are slow.
•Travel by Car. Buses and taxis reach Ahilyanagar from Pune, Aurangabad, Sholapur, and Nasik. A direct road from Mumbai, which bypasses Pune, takes about six hours in light traffic.
Message From Eruch Regarding Pilgrimage
(19 August, 1994)We, His lovers, must not forget why we come to Meherabad in the first place. Meherabad is a place of Holy Pilgrimage. It is not a vacation spot, resort or retreat. It behooves each pilgrim blessed to cross His Threshold, to accept all conditions of their pilgrimage as the prasad given to them by their Beloved Lord. To have one’s pilgrimage accepted by the Lord is no easy task, for it means more than to merely bow down at His Samadhi. We must wholeheartedly accept any and all trials and tribulations that may beset us during our pilgrimage, knowing full well that these very difficulties when happily accepted without reservation or expectation mark His acceptance of our pilgrimage. Doubly blessed is the pilgrim who, in spite of all hardships, remains cheerfully resigned to the conditions of his pilgrimage.
And yet, Beloved Avatar Meher Baba, in His Infinite Compassion and Benevolence, has made our pilgrimage so comfortable and easy that we have forgotten all that He Himself, as Man amongst men, suffered throughout His Ministry to awaken His love in our hearts.
Dear brothers and sisters, we have been blessed to receive His gift of love; now it is time for us to return that love by dissolving all expectations, reservations, and desires in total gratitude and resignation to His Will.
With warm regards in Love and Service of our Beloved Lord Avatar Meher Baba.
Yours lovingly,
Eruch