Meher Baba's Life & Travels
AIR FRANCE - Flight 437
Geneva, Switzerland to Paris, France, 1952
19th August
Baba and the group were supposed to fly from Geneva the next morning, so they spent that night at the Cornavin Hotel. The next day was spent frantically trying to reserve seats on a plane bound for India, because Air India had called to say their flight had been cancelled due to a labour strike in Bombay. ( Charmian had driven Baba and the women to the airport.)
Baba and the women finally flew to Paris on Thursday afternoon, 21 August at 5:40 P.M. via Air France 437, and then at 11:00 P.M. on Air France 180 to Karachi.
Dr. Donkin flew back a few days later via England. Delia De Leon had been sent back to London ( 20th ) the day before Baba departed, and Charmian was staying on in Switzerland for a week ( 26th ) with friends.
Lord Meher Online Edition Page 3129
** The women Mandali that travelled with Meher Baba from Geneva to Bombay were ;
Mehera Irani, Mani Irani, Meheru Irani, Dr. Goher Irani & Rano Gayley.
** When Charmian arrived to London she stayed with Delia for a week before travelling up to Scotland.
... additional
Air India had indicated that the labour strike might last a week, so alternative arrangements were urgently pursued by both Rano Gayley & Dr. Donkin. There was a lot of angst in trying to achieve getting 6 tickets together on one flight, eventually, it came about with Air France.
Instead of flying direct to Bombay, which was their original intentions, the flight took them as far as Karachi, Pakistan via Beirut, Lebanon. The remaining leg of their journey would be arranged in Karachi once they arrived.
A cable was sent to Minoo Kharas in Karachi,
requesting him to meet Baba and the women Mandali at Karachi Airport the following
day ( 22nd August )when their plane arrives. They stayed the night at the airport and flew out the next afternoon for Bombay.
Webmaster
22nd August : Arrive Marseille, France at 1am, depart 2am ( Air France Flight 180
)
Arrive Beirut Airport, Lebanon at 9am, depart 11am
22nd August : Arrive Karachi Airport, Pakistan at 9pm. They stayed the night at the airport.
23rd August : Depart 12:30pm ( afternoon ) by Scindia Air Services No.3
Arrive Bhuj, India at 2:30pm, depart 3pm
Arrive Jamnagar, India at 3:40pm, depart 4pm
Arrive Bombay Airport at 6:10pm. Driven straight to Meherazad, India.
Arrive Meherazad 1:30 am.
To read about this visit to the West in 1952 by Meher Baba visit the following web-page -
This visit consists of 7 web-pages.
* USA visit - * New York visit - * Myrtle Beach visit - * Prague, Oklahoma visit
