Meher Baba's Life & Travels
MADHYA PRADESH STATE ( MP )
August 1924
On the 2nd of August, Meher Baba departed Bombay by train for Madras and then after a couple of days they departed by train to Ooty in the Nilgiri Hills in Southern India. 4 men Mandali - Beheramji Irani, Padri Driver, Gustadji Hansotia and Baily Irani, travelled with him until they returned to Madras. Here, Baily left and returned to Poona and the group continued to Calcutta in the north-east on the 9th August by train, spending a few days there.
On the 12th of August, they commenced their journey by train for Hardwar in the north of India at the foothills of the Himalayas. After visiting Rishikesh nearby, they decided to head to Central India mostly by train.
BEHERAM H.
IRANI PADRI
DRIVER GUSTADJI
HANSOTIA
August continued ...
Baba and the remaining men, changed trains at Jhansi and arrived in Bhopal on 20th Aug. in the afternoon, Baba again went to look for sadhus. Adi arrived from Ahmednager and pleaded with Baba to end his wandering and to come back to Meherabad. That night they left for Ratlam, Beheramji was sent ahead to Baroda (Vadodara) to make arrangements.
LM p.671-5
RD p.359-362
Note : The above paragraph mentions 3 distinct rail sections between Lucknow & Ratlam. The following list mentions these rail sections of this journey.
* Lucknow to Jhansi : 312 kms / 194 miles ( rail )
* Jhansi to Bhopal : 292 kms / 141 miles ( rail )
* Bhopal to Ratlam : 285 kms / 177 miles ( rail )
August continued ...
On the train to Baroda, Baba's health suffered so, after arriving, they decided to rest in Baroda for a couple of nights. They reached Ratlam in the morning of 22nd August. Here again, Baba walked about the train seeking sadhus and bowing down to them. They left Ratlam and reached Baroda at 8pm with all the men staying in the Gujarat Hindu Lodge in the Syaii Gunj.
Here Baba stated "After journeying to Mt. Abu, our tour will end and we will return to Meherabad and settle down".
Everyone was glad to hear that. Adi was sent back to Ahmednagar.
In Baroda, they went sightseeing, visiting the Maharaj's palace, museums, art gallery, etc.
Baba changed his plan stating "We will settle in the village of Sinhgarh near Poona. Sinhgarh is a suitable place for the permanent mandali to live. There we all can lead a quiet life since it is secluded and conveniently located with plenty of water. And, besides, it is Babajan's territory !"
LM p.675-6
RD p.363
* Ratlam to Baroda : 262 kms / 163 miles ( rail )
2nd Visit to Ujjain
August continued ...
Meher Baba left 2 days later on 24th August at 10pm, and arrived in Ujjain on the 25th at 1pm. Later they found many sadhus on the banks of the Sipra (Shipra) River, lepers were there as well. Money was distributed to them after Baba bowed down to them.
Nearby there was a Shiva Temple on the banks, with some sadhus in a hut next to it. They later left Ujjain at 4pm and arrived at Mortakka south of Indore at 10pm, the same day.
*The nearest railway station to Mortakka is called Omkareshwar Road Railway Station.
* Baroda to Ujjain : 358 kms / 222 miles ( rail )
* Ujjain to Mortakka : 109 kms / 68 miles ( rail )
August continued ...
They slept on the railway platform and the next morning, 26th August, they rode on a bullock cart to Omkareshwar ( an island in the Namada River ) some 9 miles away to the East; a famous Hindu place of pilgrimage "Mandhata" where Upasni Maharaj had meditated and entered a state of 'samadhi', which then led him to contact Perfect Masters Narayan Maharaj and Sai Baba.
Meanwhile, Padri had dysentery and had remained in the town, Baba was quite ill as well.
LM p.677
RD p.364
* Mortakka to Omkareshwar
: 15 kms / 9 miles ( road - bullock cart
)
Total return : 964 kms / 599 miles
Perfect Masters : Upasni Maharaj Sai Baba of Shirdi Narayan Maharaj
26th August continued ...
In Omkareshwar, Baba met a Bengali 'pundit' ( a priest or scholar) named Nirmal Ananda Swami; the locals called him 'Mahatma' - a great soul. Baba spoke in English with the Swami, telling him to disguise himself so Baba could seek out other sadhus in the area, with his help. Sadhus were found and Baba bowed down to them.
Baba told Sadashiv to bathe in the Narmada River.
They returned to Mortakka ( Omkareshwar Road Railway Station ) at 10pm and departed for Baroda immediately.
The next day 27th August, when Baba's train halted briefly, a Muslim man insisted on meeting 'this man', Baba. After he had taken a block of opium with a chapatti, he shook his hand and started to loudly praise the virtues of Mt. Abu, Baba was impressed by this man and decided to go there.
Later that night, they all arrived again in Baroda and stayed in the same hotel as before. Sadashiv returned to Poona on the same train.
LM p.677
RD p.364
The full details of this trip around India can be read on Chapter 7 of Meher Baba's life.
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