MAHARASHTRA STATE

MSI Collection ; photo taken 5th June 1927

The Indian government renamed the city as Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Nagar in the 2010s.

Meher Baba visited this city starting in the early 1920s.

Details of that and other visits will follow.

1950

Leaving Bir on the 7th November, the group proceeded to Aurangabad by bus. The following morning, at seven o'clock, they walked to Khuldabad, where they stayed in the guest house of the Awalia Mosque.

In Aurangabad, on 9 November, Baba and the four companions took baths and decided to stay at the guest house for nine days. Baba spent the next day sitting in seclusion in various Muslim shrines in Khuldabad, and also contacted two masts.

On Sunday, 11 November 1951, Baba sat in seclusion in the cave of the Sufi Qutub Zarzari Zar Baksh (Sai Baba's Master in one of Sai's previous incarnations), and also contacted a mast near the shrine. Baba then proceeded to Daulatabad, and there too sat in several shrines for a fixed time before returning to Khuldabad in the evening.

Baba visited the Ellora Caves on the 12th, and sat in seclusion in Cave 32, called Indra Sabha near a statue of Mahavir — the 6th-century BC Perfect Master, a contemporary of Buddha, and the founder of Jainism.

From Ellora, Baba proceeded to Virod Village, where Prahlad and Keshav Maharaj masts were contacted at the bus stand. Keshav Maharaj was residing in the village of Kashyap and had "coincidentally" come to Virod that day. Baba returned to Khuldabad with the men at eleven o'clock that night.

In Khuldabad on 14 November, at the guest house, Baba washed the feet of the Muslim caretaker of Zarzari Zar Baksh's tomb, bowed down to him and gave him Rs.21 as a love-gift. Accompanied by the caretaker, Baba again went to Zarzari Zar Baksh's tomb, where he contacted 74 poor people, washed their feet, placed his head on their feet and gave each person ten rupees. The caretaker then offered the Fatiha worship and Eruch, Pendu, Baidul and Gustadji prayed for Baba's success in his work.

LM O/L p.3014

Soon after, Baba, accompanied by a Hindu, begged at the doors of five Hindu families. Afterwards, Baba washed, and then laid his head on the feet of the heads of 24 other Hindu families, who also received alms from him. To 22 of them Baba gave Rs. 10 each, and to the remaining two families, one family head (who was blind) was given Rs.15, and the other Rs.20. The head of the last family was the man who had assisted Baba in this work.

It was in Khuldabad in the month of November 1951, that Meher Baba dictated the Prayer of Repentance ("We repent, O God Most Merciful, for all our sins ..."), but the prayer was not recited aloud publicly until a year later.

On 15 November, Baba indicated that he wished the blessing of a Catholic priest. Accompanied by his four companions, Baba was driven in a rented station wagon to Aurangabad, where he touched the feet of an elderly European priest named Father Berger. The old priest's blessings were sought and were given: "I bless you in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost." Baba knelt before him and, through Eruch, said, "Thank you, Father." From there Baba visited the Parsi Tower of Silence, where he wrapped the kusti-thread around his waist and sat for some time in the prayer room.

Soon after, they drove to the local Christian cemetery, where prayers were offered and Baba sat in seclusion by the side of a tomb under a neem tree. At one point, to prevent Baba from being disturbed, Eruch had to halt a funeral procession and engage the mourning family in conversation about the deceased until Baba clapped, indicating his work was finished.

LM O/L p.3015

Baba was pleased with the work accomplished and was in a lighthearted mood as they returned to Aurangabad, arriving at a dak bungalow there at 3:30 that afternoon.

On Friday, 16 November 1951, Baba, accompanied by the four men, left Aurangabad on foot. After covering five miles, Baba contacted a sadhu-mast and then walked back to the dak bungalow.

The next morning, Baba and the men went to Paithan by bus, where Baba sat alone near the samadhi of the Perfect Master Eknath Maharaj. Three masts were contacted there. One was a small boy, completely naked, whom Baba fed.

They returned to Aurangabad at 11:30. After lunch, at 2:00 P.M., they took a train to Jalna, where Baba contacted a good mast named Chhallewala Baba. During the encounter, this mast insisted that Baba bring him to Meherabad, but Baba explained that it was not possible for him at this time. He instructed the mast to see Adi Sr. in Ahmednagar. Eruch wrote the address on a piece of paper and Baba signed it, so Adi would know it was genuine. However, Chhallewala did not carry out this instruction, so perhaps it was a message between Baba and the mast. Baba and the men returned to Aurangabad at 9:30 that night.

On Sunday, 18 November 1951, Baba re-contacted the sadhu-mast in Aurangabad whom he had contacted two days before. Meanwhile, a telegram was sent to Vishnu in Hyderabad to send the women to Meherazad by car on the 21st. The men there, Vishnu, Nilu, Kaka, Don, Kaikobad and Krishna Nair, were instructed to follow by train. At midnight, Baba left Aurangabad for Nanded, reaching it the next morning. Baba and the companions offered prayers, left their baggage in the dak bungalow, and then Baba set out for the shrine of Guru Govind Singh, where he sat alone for some time. In Nanded, Baba contacted eight masts in the town, all of whom were sought for their blessings. They returned to Aurangabad by train, arriving there at 10:15 that night.

In Nanded, Daulat Singh rejoined Baba and the companions. He had a high fever, but had still come according to Baba's order. Throughout the day of the 20th, Baba was engaged in contacting masts in Aurangabad, accompanied by Baidul, Gustadji and Pendu. Eruch stayed behind in the dak bungalow to look after Daulat Singh. Being unwell, Daulat Singh was unable to travel by foot, and so Baba sent him back to Bangalore the next day.