Mr. Desai is surprised when Baba gives him the very photo that he is secretly longing for,
folios #2v164-2v168, March 21, 1927.
The mandali welcomed the new year at dawn on Spring Equinox by beating up a cacophonic din on any handy device that made a great noise: drums, boxes, tins, bells, bugles and shouts! Baba showed no particular concern about the “wild display…. (Before becoming a Sadguru, was He not a great machine of innocent mischief Himself?).” They bathed Baba in a ceremonial bathing room stretched near the dhuni and worshipped him with pujas. Ardeshir sang a Persian Monajat composed by Kaikasroo. A group photo was taken of Baba surrounded by the mandali and the boys and quite a few visitors.
Sweets and fruits were distributed. At noon all were served dhan-dar with plentiful curd and ghee. The afternoon qawwali program was spoiled by a poor singer; Baba sent him away after less than an hour. Supper was served by Baba in the compound around the zhopdi following an exciting game of ata-pata. Then he sat with the group gesturing and signing especially with Mr. Sorabji Desai.
During the day Mr. Desai toured Meherabad, visiting “Tank-Hill” and the Vitthoba Temple in Arangaon. Deeply impressed, he seemed to see and feel miracles everywhere. His hobby was collecting artifacts connected with spiritual personalities. He gathered dust from under Baba’s feet, as well as water that had washed his feet, and also photos, rings, kushti, kerchieves, sweets, fruits, coconuts, flowers, dhuni ash, hair and so on. Some things were given by Baba and others were secured from the mandali.
Mr. Desai was surprised when Baba gave him the very photo that he was secretly longing for. He was “taken aback” when Baba told a story about Swami Vivekananda collecting dust from under the feet of his guru, Ramakrishna, and applying it to people’s foreheads. Baba continued at some length about “the importance and significance of even trivial things connected with Masters.”
Mr. Desai said that his High Priest in Navsari regularly visited a yogi said to be 300 years old. Some members of the Parsi community tried to persuade him to stop visiting non-Zoroastrian saints and sages. Baba conveyed what a pity it is that prejudice and prestige prevent the search for Truth. The priest averred that he would “never go against his own honest convictions.” Baba asked Mr. Desai to encourage the priest to continue his pursuit of Truth. He also conveyed that if the priest were to meet him he would explain the Truth “convincingly” and “guide him to the Path.”
Invited to Navsari, Baba said that he would surely go there “one day in the future” and he conveyed that “all will be well with the Parsis.” Baba instructed Mr. Desai to pay respects to Narayan Maharaj on his way home.
Messrs Padri, Pendu, Dhakay, Rustomji, Behramji and Sailor entertained Baba and the mandali with performances of “comic farces” until 11 PM.