2nd Trip to Quetta, Pakistan ( then British India )

 

1924  -  2nd Visit

 

 

 

The plan took a twist, they now planned on leaving on the 2nd June 1924 by rail to Bombay and then to Quetta.

The animals at Meherabad were all arranged to be offered to Upasni Maharaj at Sakori.

 

Baba along with *Ardeshir ( Director of Agriculture), Ghani, Ramjoo and Vajifdar had left for Ahmednagar Railway station in the morning and the train travelled to Bombay via Manmad, arriving at 12:30pm.

 

When they reached Deolali, the railway station after Nasik, they had to change carriages and through a series of mishaps with luggages, tickets, changing train, some of the men inadvertently boarded the train to Bombay without Baba and Ramjoo.

 

Deolali was one several major British Army bases that provided treatment for battle wounds and training. This had been operational since the Boar War, and was well know throughout the service. Many servicemen, were accommodated here shortly after the WW2 to be deployed back to the country they had came from.

 

Baba and Ramjoo went to the nearby bazaar and hired a car to take them to the next railway stop of Lahit, some 4-5 miles / 6-8 kms away towards Igatpuri. Again, mishaps occurred, their hired driver eventually go lost and then Baba and Ramjoo decided to leave the car and walked across fields carrying their belongings to the nearby railway station.

 

When they arrived at Lahit, a tiny rural town, the Station Master was taken by Baba's appearance and of his connection to Sai Baba of Shirdi. Food and refreshments were provided by him, Baba insisted that the Station Master take RS.10/- that he offered as a gift. A nearby man came over and sang songs for over an hour for Baba and many others also came to listen.

Ramjoo telephoned from the station to Igatpuri where the other men were waiting.

Later, Baba and Ramjoo boarded the next train, met the waiting men and proceeded to Bombay arriving in the morning of the 4th June.

 

They put up at the Irani Mansions No.6 at Dadar, Bombay.

 

RD p.337-340

 

* There are no known images of Ardeshir

 

Deolali is 17 kms / 10 miles from Nasik to the East.

 

 

  DR. GHANI MUNSIFF                          RAMJOO JAFFER                   HORMUSJI VAJIFDAR

 

June 1924 continued...

 

Ghani was told by Baba to wait at his home in Lonavla and to come later.

On the 6th June, Adi had arrived in Bombay, joining the group and the following day ( 7th ) they departed for Quetta on the Gujarat Mail train to Delhi. In the evening they changed trains at Marwar Junction, detaching from the Delhi Mail train and attaching to the J.B. Railway train which proceeded to Hyderabad (Sind), crossing the Rajputana desert.

 

RD p.341

 

 

June continued...

 

Arriving 8th June in Hyderabad in the morning. Baba had a telegram telling Rusi Irani saying he and 3 others will arrive in Quetta on the 9th and to keep their arrival very private.

They boarded the Quetta Mail train, arriving at Sibi Junction on the following morning and arrival in Quetta at 5pm. Rusi pulled some strings with the police at Sibi to fast process Baba and his men through the security.

Rusi gave them lavish hospitality, which they needed.

The garden land that they seen on their previous trip was not available and it was too icy, so it was decided to go to Sukkar. Ramjoo and Adeshir took the train to the town on the 11th June, with a letter of introduction to man called Mobedji.

When they arrived they settled into a traveller's shelter and they found this man, he passed them onto many others who were very hospitable and sympathetic , but the land upon inspection was not suitable, especially in the hot summer. They inspected more lands by the backs of the Indus River and other locations. They continued on the next day - 12th, still inspecting more lands.

They continued to the town of Rohri on the 13th June. The next day ( 14th ), they returned to Quetta. They soon discovered that Baba and a local man had already left for Sukkar last night.

 

RD p.343-4

 

June continued...

 

Meher Baba returned to Quetta on the 15th June, not pleased that the men weren't there to meet him Sukkar, his reply to Rumjoo's message before returned to Quetta had been misplaced by the station staff. Baba had purchased some land with the assistance of Holaram and Rustomji.

Baba had also visited the tomb of a renowned Muslim local saint - Bachalshah. That evening Baba and the party went for a motor spin around Quetta. Baba told Ramjoo to go back to Sukkar and visit the saint's tomb and look  for a suitable house to stay.

 

RD p.345

 

 

June continued...

 

On the 17th June, Ramjoo arrived in the morning, he selected a bungalow and took a 6 month lease. He then went to the plot of land that Baba had bought when he encounted a lady who similarities to Perfect Master Babajan in Poona. She was muttering inaudible words, when she asked him "Who is your Master ?", he replied Meher Baba. She then uttered "King Emperor" and began muttering again.

She had been devoted to Bachalshah when he was alive, she had left her family and was addressed as Mastani Mai. Ramjoo found the man that was absorbed in Bachalshah's tomb when Baba visited. Ramjoo gave him Rs5/- (5 rupees), which Baba had given him prior.

 

Then another saintly person appeared who was known as Mustanshah. He began asking Ramjoo about his family and other from his home town in Lonavla. Rustom was bewildered. The man said he had spent some time at Lonavla and told him many observations he had made.

In the afternoon, Rustom rowed in a boat with a local guide to Sat-Bela, visiting a Hindu place of worship. He met with the head of the institute there and gave him the present Baba had given him for this purpose. This institute fed scores of needy people.

Rustom left Quetta by the 10pm train.

 

This place in Sukkor was to be the Baba's new seat, but many preferred the temperate climate of Karachi. Loads of trunks, etc arrived and stored in Sukkar. By the 30th June, most of the Mandali had arrived in Sukkar.

 

Khodadad Farhad ( Nervous ) had a fever due to Sufi the horse had struck his knee and it got infected. Even though he was getting medical care from a European surgeon, from when he first arrived. He was then declared to have typhoid. Baba spent considerable time with. On the 16th July, Nervous passed away, when Baba had arrived in Mach.

Funeral arrangements had been taken care of.

 

Baba arrived in Karachi on the 17th July. The following day 18th July, a large bungalow was arranged near the botanical garden & zoo, with the rest of the Mandali arriving soon. Baba also inspected other plots of land in view for their permanent stay.

 

On the 19th July, Baba and the party went Maghar-Pir  about 10 miles from Karachi by car.

This place had a shrine to a well-known saint and also several hot-water springs with many believing in the curing powers of the waters. Also found were many lepers hoping to be cured.

The rest of the group had arrived from Quetta including their luggage from Sukkor, and all agreeing that all transactions were cancelled and all parties rewarded sufficently.

 

 

RD p.346-351