Manija Sheriar Irani ( Mani )

Born : 15th December 1918 - Poona, India

Died : 19th August 1996 - Meherazad, India

Parents : Sheriar & Shireen Irani

Siblings : Merwan ( Meher Baba ), Jal, Adi & Beheram, Jamshed & Freiny ( b.1898 d.1905 )

               - Shirmund ( b./d. 1910? ) & Jehangir  ( b. 1900 d. 1902? ) both died in infancy.

Married : No

 

Meher Baba's sister

The Trust Office - January 1975 : Photo taken by Anthony Zois
The Trust Office - January 1975 : Photo taken by Anthony Zois
Mani S. Irani.  Image rendition by Anthony Zois.
Mani S. Irani. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.
MSI Collection
MSI Collection
MSI Collection
MSI Collection
Colourization by Nagendra Gandhi
Colourization by Nagendra Gandhi
Mani as a toddler.
Mani as a toddler.
Image colourized by Anthony Zois
Image colourized by Anthony Zois
Mani Irani, circa 1930's, possibly Nasik - 1933. Courtesy of the Jessawala Collection - AMB Archives, Meherabad, India.
Mani Irani, circa 1930's, possibly Nasik - 1933. Courtesy of the Jessawala Collection - AMB Archives, Meherabad, India.
MSI Collection
MSI Collection
MSI Collection
MSI Collection
MSI Collection
MSI Collection
MSI Collection
MSI Collection
 1937 : Having lunch on the road to Paris. Full image. ( L-R ) Kitty Davy, Meher Baba, Mehera Irani, Naja Irani, Khorshed Irani & Baba's sister Mani Irani.
1937 : Having lunch on the road to Paris. Full image. ( L-R ) Kitty Davy, Meher Baba, Mehera Irani, Naja Irani, Khorshed Irani & Baba's sister Mani Irani.
MSI Collection
MSI Collection
MSI Collection  - 1940s - Meher Baba's family : ( L-R ) Adi Jrn., Mani, Baba, Shireen ( mother ) Jal, Beheram
MSI Collection - 1940s - Meher Baba's family : ( L-R ) Adi Jrn., Mani, Baba, Shireen ( mother ) Jal, Beheram
Late 1930s, India. Mani taking a photo.
Late 1930s, India. Mani taking a photo.
1937 : Villa Caldana, Cannes, France. Mani on the far left front. Courtesy of MN Publ.
1937 : Villa Caldana, Cannes, France. Mani on the far left front. Courtesy of MN Publ.
1937 : Villa Caldana, Cannes, France. Mani is on the far left on her knees . Courtesy of Mehera-Meher books.
1937 : Villa Caldana, Cannes, France. Mani is on the far left on her knees . Courtesy of Mehera-Meher books.
1937 : Villa Caldana, Cannes, France. Mani is on the far left on her knees . Courtesy of LM, p.2296
1937 : Villa Caldana, Cannes, France. Mani is on the far left on her knees . Courtesy of LM, p.2296
Back row ( L-R ) Goher, Mehera, Baba, Elizabeth, Ivy & Norina.  Front row : Mani, Chamain Knowles & Meheru Irani.
Back row ( L-R ) Goher, Mehera, Baba, Elizabeth, Ivy & Norina. Front row : Mani, Chamain Knowles & Meheru Irani.
1952 - Meher Center, Myrtle Beach, SC.
1952 - Meher Center, Myrtle Beach, SC.
‎Courtesy of Mayan de Waldmar‎
‎Courtesy of Mayan de Waldmar‎
Photo taken by Anthony Zois ; Dhuni at Meherabad, January 1975 - Mani is standing in the centre
Photo taken by Anthony Zois ; Dhuni at Meherabad, January 1975 - Mani is standing in the centre
Mehera & Mani. Photo taken by Larry Karrasch
Mehera & Mani. Photo taken by Larry Karrasch
Photo of Mani taken by Larry Karrasch
Photo of Mani taken by Larry Karrasch

 

 

Photos of Mani Irani courtesy of Glenn & Laurel Magrini

Photos taken by Bobby Buggia

Mandali Hall, Meherazad, India. Mani telling a story with Raine Eastman-Garnett next to her.
Mandali Hall, Meherazad, India. Mani telling a story with Raine Eastman-Garnett next to her.
U.Meherabad, India : Mani visiting Mansari at her quarters. Photo taken by Clive Adams-1971-3.
U.Meherabad, India : Mani visiting Mansari at her quarters. Photo taken by Clive Adams-1971-3.
 Lady Dorothy Hopkinson with Mani S. Irani in 1976. Jacko Caraco in background, right. Photo by Kendra Crossen Burroughs
Lady Dorothy Hopkinson with Mani S. Irani in 1976. Jacko Caraco in background, right. Photo by Kendra Crossen Burroughs
Painted by Charlie Mills, 1998 "Mani" - Oil-20x24 - Courtesy of Elias Hanna - http://www.millsstudio.com/
Painted by Charlie Mills, 1998 "Mani" - Oil-20x24 - Courtesy of Elias Hanna - http://www.millsstudio.com/
Painted by Charlie Mills, 2012 "Mani" - Oil-20x16 - Courtesy of AMBT, India - http://www.millsstudio.com/
Painted by Charlie Mills, 2012 "Mani" - Oil-20x16 - Courtesy of AMBT, India - http://www.millsstudio.com/
Mehera Irani ( seated ) with Mani and Roda Mistry viewing Meher Baba in the crypt on January 31st 1969. On the floor, the record player is playing "Begin the Beguine" by Hutch Hutchinson, this was played 7 times as per Baba's instructions.
Mehera Irani ( seated ) with Mani and Roda Mistry viewing Meher Baba in the crypt on January 31st 1969. On the floor, the record player is playing "Begin the Beguine" by Hutch Hutchinson, this was played 7 times as per Baba's instructions.
Photo taken by Larry Karrasch, 1969 Last Darshan at Guruprasad, Poona, India
Photo taken by Larry Karrasch, 1969 Last Darshan at Guruprasad, Poona, India
1969 Darshan program. The man next to her is Dr. Hoshang Bharucha, a long time Baba Lover from Navsari, India
1969 Darshan program. The man next to her is Dr. Hoshang Bharucha, a long time Baba Lover from Navsari, India

 

In 1974 and 1975 Steven Hein videotaped Meher Baba's mandali on a reel-to-reel videotape recorder. Kristine Wyld arranged for the tapes to be converted to professional quality analogue Betacam SP tapes. Mandali Hall, Meherazad, India - 1975

BOOKS WRITTEN BY MANI


82 Family Letters:

Letters from Mani Irani (Meher Baba's sister) to various families from 1958 to 1969.


1. 1969

Published by : Society for Avatar Meher Baba - New York ; 366 p. - Hardcover


2. 1976

Published by : Sheriar Press - 376 p.

Hardcover


3. 1979

Published by : Sheriar Foundation - 366p.

Softcover

(ISBN 978-0913078259)

 

God-Brother :

Stories from My Childhood with Meher Baba

 

1993


Published by : Sheriar Foundation

146 p.


- illustrated by Steve Jameson under the painting name of Wodin.




(ISBN 978-1880619063)

 

Dreaming of The Beloved

 

1998


Published by : Sheriar Foundation

80 p.


- illustrated by Steve Jameson under his painting name Wodin.



(ISBN 978-1880619186)

 

Tales from the New Life with Meher Baba

 

(Contributing authors) Narrated by :

Eruch, Mehera, Mani and Meheru,


1976


Published by : Beguine Library, Berkley, CA.

191 p.

BOOKS WRITTEN ABOUT MANI

 

The Joyous Path

( 2 volumes )

 

2015

 

Heather Nadel

 

Published by :


ARTWORK BY MANI

 

Courtesy of Heather Nadel's books " Joyous Path "
Courtesy of Heather Nadel's books " Joyous Path "

MUSIC BY MANI

 

My Heart is Calling You

Meherazad, India
Meherazad, India


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 
Mani S. Irani


Sister of Meher Baba


Born 15 December, 1918
Pune, India
Died August 19, 1996
Meherazad, India
Relatives Sister to Meher Baba

 

Manija Sheriar Irani (December 15, 1918 - August 19, 1996) was the younger sister of Indian spiritual master Meher Baba, and one of his mandali. She was chairman of the Avatar Meher Baba Trust and the author of 82 Family Letters.

Besides Meher Baba's chief woman disciple Mehera Irani, Mani Irani was said by Meher Baba to be his second closest woman disciple and his spiritual sister. Mani was one of only four women out of twenty companions to accompany Meher Baba in his New Life phase, beginning in October 1949. By Meher Baba's directive given during his lifetime her remains are buried adjacent to Baba's samadhi in Meherabad, India.

 

Contents


Early life


Mani was born in Pune, India, the sixth and last child of Sheriar Mundegar Irani and Shireen Sheriar Irani. Sheriar and Shireen had one earlier daughter Freiny who died of plague at the age of six in 1902. Thus Mani was Meher Baba's only surviving sister and the youngest in her family. Meher Baba was 24 years old when Mani was born, a period when he was still under the care of sadguru Upasni Maharaj in Sakori outside Ahmednagar. By the time Mani was old enough to know about her famous brother, he was already attracting disciples of his own in Meherabad. Mani attended Catholic school and longed to accompany her brother and live in his ashram as his disciple even as a young girl. She wrote persistently to him, pleading to be allowed to come.[1] Finally Baba made it possible through difficult family negotiations with their mother Shireen who was worried about Mani's safety and health in the austere and harsh desert life of Baba's ashram outside Ahmednagar. As a result of such efforts Mani joined her brother as a full resident disciple in September 1932 at the age of only 13.[2]

 


 Dorab Irani Descendants Tree. Graphics created by Anthony Zois.
Dorab Irani Descendants Tree. Graphics created by Anthony Zois.