[Tavern-Talk] Trust Talk - Trust Objects and Purposes: Accommodations - Part Three

[Tavern-talk]

In this article, part three of the pilgrim accommodations series, we 
will focus on the Trust's arrangements for housing large groups of 
pilgrims, especially those who come from India.

"News had already reached Bombay by the evening of 31st January 1969, 
and lovers rushed to Ahmednagar by all available means. Several had 
arrived soon after Baba's body had been placed in the Tomb. . .Overnight 
Meherabad was transformed from a peaceful, quiet, remote spot into a 
crowded place of pilgrimage. Rows and rows of conveyances crowded onto 
the roadside as buses, cars, taxis, bicycles, motor scooters, tongas and 
bullock ox-carts assembled. A board was erected, directing people up the 
Hill, but it was becoming increasingly difficult for Padri to help the 
ever growing crowd. To accommodate [the rush of people], every inch of 
space surrounding the Hill was utilized. There was no food available, 
but a roadside refreshment stall was set up to supply tea.

"Chhagan cooked and brought food on February 2nd, and did so again on 
February 6th. [On other days, food was brought from Akbar Press; Roshan 
and Manu helped to prepare it for the Mandali and immediate family. Jal 
Dastoor also brought food from the Ashoka Hotel].

"There was no electricity in Meherabad then, but sufficient illumination 
was provided [as a ] full moon shone in the starry night sky the entire 
week. When Chinta Sarva Rao and Majety Rama Mohan Rao of Vijayawada 
arrived, they arranged for a generator, and a ring of fluorescent lights 
encircled the Tomb. A makeshift white cloth awning stretched over bamboo 
poles was erected in front of the Tomb to give a little shade from the 
scorching sun to those waiting to take darshan." – Lord Meher, pp. 6728 
- 6730

Thus began the work of providing accommodations for the stream of 
devotees who would continue to come in greater and greater numbers 
throughout the years to pay homage to Beloved Avatar Meher Baba at His 
Samadhi.

In the first few years after Beloved Baba dropped His body in January 
1969, most of the pilgrims who came to Meherabad only stayed for the 
day. In those early years, pilgrims who wished to stay for longer 
periods would often stay at hotels in Ahmednagar, such as the Lucky 
Hotel, the Daulat Hotel and the Ashoka Hotel. Some Parsis would stay at 
the Parsi Fire Temple in Ahmednagar. They, along with Western pilgrims, 
would also stay at Viloo Villa, Sarosh Irani’s residence, which is 
located in the military district of Ahmednagar. Viloo Villa got its 
start as a guest house when the Luck brothers asked to stay there 
following Beloved Baba’s interment, as they wished to stay on in India 
until the 1969 Darshan.

Since there were no rickshaws at that time, the pilgrims who were 
staying in town made the ten-kilometer journey to Meherabad on bicycles, 
in tongas or on one of the local buses. It soon became obvious that more 
convenient accommodations were needed. In a letter to the Trustees dated 
21 November 1969, Sarosh Irani stated:

"Many Baba disciples and lovers find it difficult to
stay in the city and then go to Meherabad---at times
there are no hotel accommodations and there is al-
ways a transport difficulty. Therefore I feel that it
will be a good gesture on the part of the Trustees
if they can allow Baba lovers in small groups not
exceeding fifteen to stay at Lower Meherabad dur-
ing their visit to Baba’s Samadhi. I have met many
Baba lovers from Bombay, Poona, and other places,
and they seem to be very much disappointed for all
the inconvenience they have to undergo for their stay
at Ahmednagar proper city. We have a lot of space at
Lower Meherabad and a room or two can be allotted
for this purpose. The visitors can make their
own arrangements for food, transport, etc. . . ."

The Dharamshala, originally known as the "Old Bungalow," was constructed 
in 1916 and served as the officers’ mess hall for the British Army camp. 
It later became the early Mandali’s residence. After 1969 it began to be 
used to house pilgrims. If there was an overflow, Padri would sometimes 
allow pilgrims to stay in the Meherabad Mandali Hall. In 1982, the 
southern half of the Dharamshala building was demolished and rebuilt to 
provide extra space for pilgrims.

During the 1970s several other buildings in Lower Meherabad were also 
used to accommodate pilgrims. Dr. Donkin's Quarters were used to house 
up to six pilgrims, during four-day stays at Meherabad. The small 
buildings behind Donkin's Quarters were constructed at that time to 
serve as a dining room and kitchen. Also during this period, the 
Interview Cabin was used to accommodate up to three pilgrims at a time. 
The old dispensary room in Mandali Hall (room #4) also housed pilgrims 
occasionally. All these rooms were later used as staff quarters.

Thus, by 1976 there were two types of lodging arrangements at Meherabad: 
the Dharamshala and the Pilgrims' Rooms. Pilgrims who stayed in the 
Dharamshala were required to provide their own bedding and see to the 
purchase and cooking of their own rations. In the Pilgrims’ Rooms, 
lodging was available from Monday through Friday morning; pilgrims were 
permitted to have only one bath during their stay there. Up to twelve 
pilgrims could be accommodated in the Pilgrims' Rooms. Bedding with 
netting and linen was provided, breakfast and two meals a day were 
available, and the menu was fixed vegetarian. The diet consisted of 
rice, dal, chapattis, and vegetables in season. If pilgrims required any 
special foods, such as butter, bread, coffee, fresh fruits, they were 
asked to purchase them in town before coming to Lower Meherabad. 
Accommodations expanded for smaller groups of pilgrims when the Meher 
Pilgrim Centre opened on 19 June 1980; it could accommodate fifty-six in 
rooms housing one to eight people. Men and women were housed separately. 
Several Baba groups generously donated various household items to help 
setup the MPC.

In 1980 work began on the Hostels which could be used for large groups 
who came during the year as well as Amartithi. The plan called for four 
identical buildings to be constructed. Four foundations were built, 
which ultimately became Hostels "A," "B," "C," and "D." Initially, at 
Amartithi, tents were set up on the four foundations. The following year 
walls and roofs were added to the foundations of "B" and "C," and the 
tents were again set up on all four foundations to house pilgrims at 
Amartithi. In 1982, Hostels "B" and "C" were completed, but Hostels "A" 
and "D" still consisted of just the foundations, where tents were again 
set up for Amartithi.

Hostels "B" and "C" were designed to accommodate 500 people each. Also a 
block of 20 latrines and 26 baths for each building were constructed 
nearby. As the number of pilgrims greatly increased, Hostel "C" was 
remodeled to include a verandah, inside toilet, kitchen, dining hall, 
and storeroom. Steel cupboards, bedside tables, etc., were purchased. It 
was used to accommodate larger groups of Indian Baba lovers as well as 
overflow pilgrims from the Pilgrim Centre and the Dharmashala. This was 
possible because Hostel "C" had movable cupboards which could be cleared 
to the side to allow the hostel to accommodate the ever-increasing 
number of pilgrims who came during Silence Day and Amartithi. It is also 
used for the annual Meherabad Young Adult Sahavas.

Hostel "D" opened in August 1988. In the original plan, all the hostels 
were to be the same, but when it was built, Hostel "D" was made into a 
dharamshala. It was designed and built with two kitchens, two 
storerooms, and two dining halls, one set for the food catering service, 
and one set for the pilgrims who wish to cook for themselves. Hostel "D" 
normally accommodates fifty pilgrims in fifty beds in six bays. Double 
the usual number of pilgrims could be housed in Hostel "D" by spreading 
additional mattresses on the floor. At Amartithi, the verandahs are 
enclosed to accommodate more people.
\
Hostel "A" eventually became a centre for music and dramatic arts, but 
at Amartithi, it is used to house between 600-700 pilgrims, who bring 
their own beddings which they spread on the floor.
In recent years, the number of pilgrims coming for special occasions has 
increased, and the Hostels have helped accommodate pilgrims who come 
during those times. Up to 1200 pilgrims have come to Meherabad to 
observe Silence Day, and many stay for more than one day. Thus, the need 
for accommodations for pilgrims has grown substantially over the years.

Due to the increased number of Indian pilgrims arriving for Amartithi, 
in the late 1980s the Trust opened the "New Site" at Upper Meherabad, 
which accommodates thousands of pilgrims. The Trust increased the number 
of tents behind Hostel D, which made it possible to accommodate more 
pilgrims. As the numbers grew, the Trust has also had to give greater 
attention to security arrangements and water supply. Traffic also grew 
around Meherabad. A great number of Amartithi pilgrims arrive by tourist 
buses and other vehicles, large and small. By 2008 the number of 
vehicles totaled 506, of which 51 were tourist buses.

The first Amartithi in 1970 was attended by about 500 pilgrims. In the 
early years during Amartithi, tents were placed at Lower Meherabad and 
catering was done by outside canteenwalas. Padri would have the 
residents vacate their staff quarters and sleep in tents, as their rooms 
were turned over to pilgrims. By 2008 the registered number of Amartithi 
pilgrims had grown to 12,586, and on January 31 as many as 25,000 were 
present for the fifteen minutes of silence at noon. It is necessary to 
plan for even greater numbers in the future, for as Baba pointed out 
during the 1955 Sahavas, after a period of seventy-five years Meherabad 
would be the centre of world pilgrimage. Consequently, the Trust 
initially plans to accommodate up to 4000 pilgrims in an area called the 
"Pilgrim Education Site" which is located to the south-west of Baba's 
Samadhi. It is the area you see at the top of the hill, to the left, as 
you travel along the road towards the MPR. This area in time will be 
developed to accommodate tens of thousands of pilgrims for Amartithi.

On June 15, 2006 new pilgrim facilities opened at the recently 
constructed Meher Pilgrim Retreat, an 88,000 square-foot pilgrim 
facility located in upper Meherabad that provides meals and overnight 
accommodation for up to 200 pilgrims. Although this beautiful building 
provides for many more pilgrims than the Meher Pilgrim Centre, which is 
no longer used to accommodate pilgrims, there is still a need to extend 
dharamshala-style facilities.

The Trust intends to construct a new dharamshala and will do so as funds 
permit. For thousands of years, dharamshalas, or rest houses, have been 
built throughout India to provide essential shelter for people on 
pilgrimage. When it is built, our Dharamshala will provide lodging for 
hundreds more pilgrims in the most simple of accommodations at 
reasonable charges.

It is an ongoing challenge to meet the needs of large numbers of 
pilgrims from diverse backgrounds and simultaneously provide each one 
with the space and time to have intimate moments with the Beloved.

"After I drop my body, lakhs [hundreds of thousands] will come here just 
to gather, just to kiss the dust of this place." – Meher Baba

Jal Dastoor, Shrider Kelkar and Ramesh Jangle

The next article in this series will deal with the third object 
enumerated in the Trust Deed: provisions for the housing of persons from 
the West and the East who wish to serve the Trust as residents.