Meher Baba's Life & Travels
S.S. BARJORA
This ship is mentioned in the books " Lord Meher " by Bhau Kalchuri as the " SS BAROJA ". No such ship exists, but the cargo ship " SS BARJORA " did at the same time and similar locations.
They boarded the ship S.S. Varela on 22nd February 1924 at 7:30am and departed Bombay harbour at 9:30am for Meher Baba's first visit to Persia ( later known as Iran ).
The men mandali that accompanied Meher Baba were :
Adi K. Irani, Beheramji H. Irani, Rustom B.'Baidul' Jafrabadi, Gustadji N. Hansotia, Rustom G.'Masaji' Irani, Khodadad F. 'Nervous' Irani, Faredoon 'Padri' Driver, Hormusji Vajifdar.
MEHER BABA ADI K. IRANI GUSTADJI HANSOTIA "BAIDUL" JAFRABADI PILAMAI IRANI
BEHRAMJI H.IRANI "MASAJI" IRANI "NERVOUS" IRANI "PADRI" DRIVER HORMUSJI VAJIFDAR
1st March , 1924
When the ship arrived in Bushire on the 1st, a launch took the passengers to the dock and very agile porters took their belongings and placed them on mules to and then taken to Mr. Gilam Husain Lodi's house. A very cold front has set in prior to their arrival in Bushire. Keeping warm was crucial, the whole atmosphere was very wet and gloomy and not comfortable.
Both Baba and Vajifdar were suffering from nausea. Water had been purchased and brought to the house, but it had maggots in it and was also cloudy white. They decided to go inland to Shiraz, the home of the Perfect Master and poet Hafiz *( b.1325 - d.1390 ) and hired a truck to transport them there for 400 rupees.
The next day, 2nd March, Padri also got severe fever, Baba decided to cancel that trip and take another ship the S.S. Baroja back to Karachi. It was agreed that Baidul and Beheramji were to get down at Bandar Abba on the way, so they could go to their respective homes in Persia, and the rest onto Karachi.
The S.S. Baroja was very basic, a combined passenger and cargo ship.
RD p.300
LM p.601
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hafez
March 3 - 6th, 1924
The ship departed for Bandar Abbas, the passengers comprised of many Arabs, who were not civilized to Western standards, by killing animals by the score for their meals and relieving themselves anywhere. The men were quite shocked by their behaviour.
They arrived a couple of days later. After the 2 men left Baba and went ashore, the ship stayed a
couple of hours and then went to the small port of Li(e)ngeh, then onto the island of Ha(e)ngam.
RD p.303
Lengeh / Bandar Lengeh, Iran nowadays
The port of Hengam, Iran nowadays
March 7 - 15th
The ship then steamed to the port of Muscat, Oman on the other side of the Straits of Hormuz taking several days to arrive. After a stay in the port, the ship departed for Karachi, arriving in mid-March.
Before arriving in Karachi, Baba met Gurkhas on board and they suggested that Baba and his men should go to Kathmandu in Nepal. He agreed to go there.
4.
TOUR OF NORTH & CENTRAL INDIA
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
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1924
When news was brought that a ship had arrived from Baghdad on its way to Bombay, Baba suddenly decided to return to India by that ship. This change of plans shocked the men. He instructed Baidul and Behramji to disembark at Bandar Abbas and proceed to their respective homes in Iran, while the rest of the mandali would disembark at Karachi with him. After only a few days in Persia, they boarded the cargo ship Baroja and left Bushire. Meher Baba and the mandali would always travel by the lowest class and, accordingly, they occupied the deck. The other passengers on board were Arab tribesmen. There was not much room for the passengers because the cargo ship was carrying cows, goats, chickens, donkeys and horses – the animals' excretions caused a terrible stench. The Arabs daily slaughtered goats and chickens on the deck for their meals, and some were so unhygienic that their habits shocked the mandali. On one occasion, an arrogant Arab kicked Nervous' bedroll, throwing it aside, rather than ask him politely to move it. Baba quickly stopped Nervous from confronting the man. On another occasion, one Arab abused his fellow Muslim for not offering namaz (prayer) with his face toward the west; however, the next morning, the same Arab was seen offering namaz as soon as he was out of bed, without first washing his hands and feet, which was customary. On the way to Bandar Abbas, Baba unexpectedly broached the subject of halting there and going back to Persia. At the men's immediate discouragement of his idea, he expressed astonishment at their lack of enthusiasm. He wanted all of them to disembark with Baidul and Behramji. But when they reached Bandar Abbas and were about to be ferried to the shore, Padri again had an alarming temperature; so their plan was changed and only Baidul and Behramji disembarked. The ship stayed anchored for about two hours, during which time Padri gradually felt better. Fifteen minutes before the steamer was to depart, Baba had a ferryboat hired to take them ashore; but again Padri suddenly came down with fever, and it was finally decided definitely to return to India. Arrangements were made to leave Padri in Karachi with Nervous, who was to look after him until he was well enough to travel. SOME NEPALESE Gurkhas had come on board the ship. They were friendly and admired Baba's features. At their casual suggestion to visit Nepal, Baba and the few men departed Bandar Abbas deciding to proceed to Katmandu.
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After passing through the ports of Lingeh, Henjam Island and Muscat, the cargo ship reached Karachi during the second week of March, 1924. Vajifdar accompanied Nervous and Padri to Pilamai's house. Masaji went to hire a bullock cart to take their baggage to the railway station, for Baba had decided to depart immediately by train to Nepal.
| Launched 1912: ss BARJORA |
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built by Barclay Curle & Company Glasgow, Yard No 496 Engines by Shipbuilder Propulsion: T. 3cyl 2255ihp 12 knots Launched: Tuesday, 04/06/1912 Built: 1912 Ship Type: Passenger Cargo Vessel Tonnage: 3164 grt Length: 343 feet Breadth: 46.2 feet Owner History: British India Steam Navigation Company Glasgow & London Status: Sold for Scrapping - 26/04/1949 Remarks: Broken up at Dunston on Tyne Previous update by Stuart Cameron Last updated: by George Robinson from the original records by Stuart Cameron |