[Tavern-Talk] Trust Talk - Trust Objects and Purposes Series: Maintenance of the Cemetery for Female Disciples to the West of the Tomb

[Tavern-talk]

This article discusses the Maintenance of the cemetery for female 
disciples to the West of the Tomb. This is the tenth article in the 
Trust Objects and Purposes series. You can view the previous articles, 
which are listed on the bottom of the page, at: 
http://www.ambppct.org/trust/development-plan.php

Trust Object # 5: "Maintenance of the existing cemetery for female 
disciples to the West of the Tomb proper and Provision for the burial of 
the physical body at the spot already dug out, of Adi K. Irani’s mother 
Gulmai Kaikhushru Irani after her death."

A cemetery for many of Baba's close women disciples had previously been 
established on the Hill, beginning with Nonny Gayley's death in 1939. 
Their graves were placed in rows a short distance to the west of the 
Samadhi. With the exception of Gulmai K. Irani and Mehera K. Dastur, 
whose bodies are buried there, the graves contain cremation ashes. The 
close ones whose remains or personal effects are interred there are: 
Nonny Gayley, Sheriairji and Shirinmai, Daulatmai Jehanjir Irani 
(Mehera's mother), Countess Nadine Tolstoy, Mildred Kyle, Princess 
Norina Matchabelli, Gulmai, Meheru Kekbad Dastur, Elizabeth Patterson, 
and Margaret Craske. The monument to Baba's parents contains some of 
their personal effects; their bodies were interred in the tower of 
silence in Poona.

Below is a short narrative chronology of the deaths of some of the women 
disciples who were interred on Meherabad Hill according to Beloved 
Baba’s wishes:

On October 13th, 1939, Nonny had a heart attack, and the next evening, 
at age sixty-four, she closed her eyes forever with a sweet smile on her 
face. Before breathing her last, Nonny uttered, "What beauty! What 
beauty!" Nonny's physical remains were cremated in Bangalore the next 
day, and thirty of the men and women mandali attended. Soon after the 
cremation, Baba sent her ashes to Meherabad with Adi Sr. Sarosh ordered 
a headstone from Poona and in December of 1939, adjoining Baba's tomb on 
Meherabad Hill, a stone monument for Nonny was built. Baba instructed 
that the words "Nonny, Baba's Lover" be carved on it. Baba further 
ordered that food be distributed to the poor on the anniversary of her 
death every year in commemoration of her deep devotion to him.

Although Shirinmai's body had been disposed of at the Parsi Tower of 
Silence in Poona, (she died on February 25, 1943), Baba ordered a 
memorial for her and Sheriar erected on Meherabad Hill, and this work 
was carried out in June 1943. When the memorial was ready, with His own 
hands Baba placed a few of their personal effects in it: a silver 
snuffbox of Sheriarji's and Shireenmai's eyeglasses. Baba dictated the 
inscription on their tombstone as follows:
"In eternal memory of Meher Baba's
blessed parents, Sheriarji and Shireenmai,
who are now merged in Baba's infinity."

On April 14th, 1946, Countess Nadine Tolstoy breathed her last in New 
York's Roosevelt Hospital at the age of sixty-two. Baba received the 
news on April 16th, in a telegram from Norina, and immediately cabled 
back: "Tell Elizabeth Nadia lives in me, with me and for me more than 
ever before. Instead of journeying to the West Himself, Baba called 
certain of his Western lovers back to India. He was anxious that Pendu 
finish the work of Nadine Tolstoy's tomb before Norina and Elizabeth 
arrived. On June 13th, Baba sent a letter to Pendu telling him to have 
these words carved on His disciple's headstone: "Nadine Tolstoy, her 
happiness was Baba." Mehera frequently mentioned the fact that Norina's 
stone included her title of "Princess," but Nadine's stone did not 
include her title of "Countess." Mehera felt it was important to show 
that His early lovers came from every strata of society. To please 
Mehera, a stone carver was brought from Poona to carve the word 
"Countess" in front of Nadine's name, which made Mehera very happy.

On November 5, 1952, while Baba was in His cabin at Upper Meherabad, 
Sarosh informed Him that Mehera's mother, Daulatmai Jehangir Irani, had 
expired that day at 4 A. M. of heart failure. Daulatmai had kept perfect 
silence since 1933, and it is said that she had a peaceful end. Baba 
said, "My dear Daulatmai will live in me forever, by God's grace. I say 
'by God's grace,' because today I am in the state of a devotee."
The question of printing a circular about Daulatmai's death for 
distribution among his close women disciples was discussed and agreed to 
by Baba. Later a tombstone for her was erected in the cemetery on 
Meherabad Hill. It reads: "Daulat – one of Baba's dearest lovers. 
Observing silence for twenty years."
In 1954, Mildred Kyle died of a stroke in Myrtle Beach on September 8th, 
and Baba sent this telegram: "Mildred has found eternal peace in me." 
With Baba's permission, Elizabeth Patterson sent her ashes to India, 
where Baba turned them over to Adi Sr. with instructions they be given 
to Padri to bury on Meherabad Hill beside the other graves. At 2:30 
P.M., November 6th, Baba was driven up the hill in Adi's Chevrolet. Don 
Stevens was called to witness Baba lowering her ashes into a grave near 
His tomb, before the sahavas group arrived. Later a tombstone was 
erected which reads: "Mildred Kyle Has Come to Baba."

On June 15th, 1957, Norina Matchabelli passed away at the age of 
seventy-seven, in Youpon Dunes, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, after 
prolonged heart trouble. Her love, service and renunciation were 
boundless. She was wholly Baba's and merged in Him. Baba sent this 
telegram to Elizabeth Patterson and Kitty Davy on June 17th: "Be happy 
my very dear Norina has come to live with me forever." Her body was 
cremated and, as was Baba's wish, the ashes were sent to India and 
interred on Meherabad Hill. Her tombstone reads: "Princess Norina who is 
and will ever remain Baba's."

In 1962, two pits were dug on the Hill for Korshed's mother, Soona 
Kaikhushru Irani ("Soonamasi"), and Gulmai, but when Kekobad's daughter 
Mehera, died in 1965, Padri buried her in the grave that had been set 
aside for Soonamasi. In August, Adi's mother Gulmai's health grew 
steadily worse, due to kidney disease. While at Meherabad on August 6th, 
Baba informed Padri to be prepared for Gulmai's burial on the Hill, as 
she would no doubt be dying shortly. On the evening of August 8th, 
Gulmai's condition became very serious, and Adi sent Sarosh to Meherazad 
to inform Baba. Baba instructed Sarosh that when Gulmai passed away, He 
should be informed and her body removed to Meherabad, where her coffin 
would be lowered into the grave in His presence.

At 9:00 A.M., on Saturday, August 11th, Gulmai's body was taken to 
Meherabad Hill where the grave had been dug. Baba arrived at ten o'clock 
and performed the last rites by placing flowers on her forehead and 
body. Almost two hundred persons from Arangaon and Ahmednagar were 
present. As the coffin was lowered into the earth, Baba, looking 
extremely sad, tossed flowers over it while Kaikobad offered prayers. 
Thus Baba's spiritual mother Gulmai came to rest in Meherabad, the place 
she herself had been so instrumental in laying at his feet. Baba 
remarked to Adi, "She is very fortunate that I was present at her 
burial." This was the last time Meher Baba visited Meherabad.
Gulmai's dedication, service and love for Meher Baba were truly 
monumental, for she and her husband, Kaikhushru (Khan Saheb), were the 
ones who gave him the land in Arangaon later called Meherabad. Prem 
Khilnani was present for the funeral, and as Baba was looking at the 
tower of the Meher Retreat Building, Prem said to him, "Someday 
Meherabad will be like Benares." Baba nodded, "You are right, it will."
On Dec. 6, 1980, Elizabeth Patterson died in Myrtle Beach after a 
lifetime of service to Meher Baba. Her ashes were later brought to 
Meherabad and interred in the women's cemetery.
Elizabeth was one of Baba's earliest American devotees. She first met 
Baba when He came to the United States in 1931. Elizabeth later 
described her initial meeting with Baba: "When I looked at Baba, I 
recognized Him. I remember having heard that He was silent and I was 
silent too because I kept trying to remember where I'd seen Him before. 
He didn't look like anyone I'd met in India where I had been before, or 
any other place. It was absolute recognition. . . . I can only think 
now, what a difference a day makes in the course of one's whole life. My 
experience was that of meeting someone I had always known, it was one of 
recognition from the recesses of forgotten time and at the same time, a 
portent of the future."
Margaret Craske died on February 18, 1990 at the age of 97 at Grand 
Strand Hospital in Myrtle Beach. Her ashes were brought to the Women's 
Cemetery in Meherabad and interred in a grave beside Elizabeth Patterson.

Margaret was among the group who welcomed Meher Baba on his first visit 
to England in 1931. This group included Delia de Leon, Will and Mary 
Backett, Charles Purdom, Kitty Davy and Margaret Craske. Meher Baba made 
a profound impact on all of them. Their meetings took place in London 
and in East Challacombe, Devon, where Meredith Starr had established a 
spiritual retreat. Margaret Craske described her first meeting with 
Baba. "…I went into the room and was completely won over by the love 
which seemed to permeate his whole personality."

A ballet teacher with her own school in London, she had danced with the 
Ballet Russe and the Royal Ballet, but gave the school away in 1941 to 
sail for India to spend seven years in Meher Baba's ashram at Meherabad. 
Upon her return to England in 1946, she was appointed ballet mistress of 
American Ballet Theatre and sailed for America, where, Meher Baba told 
her, she would "lay cables" for him. Laughing, Baba opened His hands, 
and then He spelled out on His alphabet board, "You must go; I have made 
you my link in America."

Over the following years, she also taught at the Metropolitan Opera 
Ballet, the Julliard School and Manhattan School of Ballet. Some of her 
dance students became followers of Meher Baba. In 1987, Miss Craske 
retired from teaching and moved to the Meher Spiritual Center in Myrtle 
Beach, SC, where she was a member of the Board of Directors.

Beloved Baba made provision for His dear women mandali and Soona 
Kaikhushru Irani in Article 6 of the Trust Deed, which lists the women 
disciples whose remains are to be interred to the right side and to the 
left side of Baba's Tomb, within fifty feet of the Tomb premises.

Baba specified who was to be interred on the right side and left side of 
His Tomb and in what order. When Beloved Baba's dear Mehera passed away, 
her physical remains were buried. Mani decided that consequently, all 
the other bodies should be cremated because there was not enough space 
to accommodate the remains of the other women.

The Trust Deed makes no mention of the burial of the men mandali because 
in 1959, when the Deed was written, the only land that was in Meher 
Baba's name was the land up the Hill. During the New Life, Meherabad 
Hill was owned jointly by Baba and Sarosh. It was later transferred back 
into Baba's name only. Since the time of the New Life, Lower Meherabad 
was in the name of Meherjee Karkaria. In 1968 he gifted Lower Meherabad 
to the Trust. During the time the land was in Meherjee's name, any male 
mandali who passed away was buried at Lower Meherabad. Though He did not 
specify each location, Baba Himself indicated who should be interred 
there and gave each man the option of burial or cremation.

Regarding the future development of the area that includes Baba's 
Samadhi and the surrounding graves, the Trust Deed, under "Secondly 
(B)," states: "An area of not less than fifty feet on all the four sides 
of the Tomb to be similarly available for its expansion and for the 
burial of the physical bodies after death of some of the Settlor's women 
disciples." Additionally, "Secondly (C)" states: "The existing Tomb 
proper and the said specified area for its expansion and for the graves 
which may be or will be there shall always be left completely unaltered 
and unchanged for all times even when a bigger tomb is built as a 
super-structure over them, i.e., the Tomb proper and the specified area 
to be included under the super structure as one collective whole."

Bhau recalls that one day in Mandali Hall, Baba called for matchsticks 
and quickly made a design, and then just as quickly tossed the 
matchsticks aside. Bhau feels that at that time Baba was giving some 
idea of a design for the superstructure over the Tomb. No one can 
accurately predict when the superstructure will be built. That project 
is left to posterity.

The next article in this series will deal with the sixth object 
enumerated in the Trust Deed: "Medical facilities for residents, 
visitors and nearby villagers and schooling facilities for their children."