The foundation of The Meher Baba Universal Spiritual Centre was laid on December 17, 1939. a number of news reporters attended the inaugural function.
We trace the history of The Centre from some of their reports:
THE MAIL, December 17, 1939: Perfect organisation down to the last minute detail ensured the complete success of the elaborate ceremony at Byramangala (a village about 24 miles from Bangalore) this evening when Meher Baba laid the foundation of the "Meher Baba Universal Spiritual Centre."
Meher Baba is a Persian who claims remarkable spiritual attainments and claims to show to a suffering world the path of love and peace. . . Meher Baba made a striking figure as he made his simple entry into a circular enclosure in the centre of which was located the ornamental pandal in which he took his seat during the ceremonies. Set amidst rolling hills and smiling valleys the site chosen for the "Spiritual Centre" is an inspiring one. . .
MYSINDIA, December 23, 1939: THE ENIGMA OF MEHER BABA: By chance I was drawn into the stream of visitors which converged last Sunday on the little tableland of Byramangala, some twenty miles from Bangalore where Meher Baba, the much publicised leader, known as "The Master" has chosen to form his "spiritual centre."
Perhaps the droll means by which I was entangled in this strange pilgrimage had something to do with my subsequent reactions.
I had gone on a visit to a friend at the Institute of Science. I was told that three motor buses were taking the personnel of the Institute to the Foundation Ceremony. Now all I knew about Meher Baba was what might be inferred from the name, which sounded Parsee, and from thereport in the press of local agitation protesting against his presence in Mysore State, and the usual rumours concerning his patrons, certain titled ladies.
It was a lovely day. The journey was imbued with hilarity and there was a general spirit of happiness manifest. . . for an hour and a half we flew through the rolling countryside, buses in front and behind, and car after car, as if all Bangalore was pulled by invisible strings — or what seemed American Boosting — to Byramangala.
We took our seats and the crowd thickened, until I guessed it to be about two thousand. At half past four music and drums announced the arrival of the Master, who stepped out of a big car and was escorted to a central dais.
Meher Baba was dressed in a long white garment with white pantaloons, and wore a short brown wollen coat. He looks about 45 or so . . . In features he is Stalinish, with merry eyes. Rather like some female lion in appearance, and well-fed and lithe.
His message to the world is not startling. It is simply that the time has come for "universal awakening, spiritual regeneration" and a "divine mission" to help towards this end which is "LOVE."
In the same issue the newspaper described the blueprint of the Centre and featured the six departments: The Spiritual Academy, The House of the Advanced Souls, The Abode of Saints, The Mad (Mast) Institute and The Solitary Quarters for Meditation.
MYSINDIA, February 3, 1940: Excerpts: It has been said of him [Meher Baba] that like most prophets and spiritual guides he has nothing to say. He reminds men of the old truths which they are always inclined to forget, and still more shows by example, and a kind of personal force more compelling than words, how men should act.
On reading the "Discourses of Meher Baba" one's reaction is favourable. They are expressed in very ordinary straightforward English, with no attempt at effect, which gives an initial impression of sincerity. The doctrine too is a sensible broad-minded one, somewhat reminiscent of Krishnamurti's.
This is a statement however which, while true within limits, must not be pressed too far. Krishnamurti's doctrine is rather aggressively non-committal on most of the questions usually discussed by religious and spiritual teachers. It professes to derive from the experience of its author that his way of life works well, achieves its purpose; coupled perhaps with a direct intuition that that IS the purpose of life. Meher Baba's doctrine resembles Krishnamurti's in sane non-fanatical acceptance of the ordinary life and its problems, and in its insistence that what is needed is some sort of change in the mind, some de-conditioning, as Krishnamurti puts it; removal of "sanskaras" in Meher Baba's phrase. Meher Baba, however, goes far beyond this, and propounds a complete ontological theory, which, as will have been gathered from his vocabulary, is Hindu in its inspiration, and stems indeed to be substantially orthodox Vedanta.
THE MEHER BABA UNIVERSAL SPIRITUAL CENTRE TODAY: In 1940 12 houses were built in a circle with a basement for a similar house at the centre. Out of the 12 houses, nine were completed under Meher Baba's supervision and three remained built upto plinth level. With the outset of the War, plans were abandoned and the entire property was sold in 1949.
However, in 1983 a group of Baba lovers acquired the property, cleared trees and shrubs, repaired the houses and renovated the Centre. Later the three unfinished houses were completed. Today a massive 68 foot domed structure dominates the centre. It is constructed on the spot where Meher Baba laid the foundation 57 years ago. The circumference of the structure along with the 12 houses is 520 feet.
B. Venkoba Rao was in 1939 one of the boys employed by Meher Baba and worked at the Mast Ashram. When the War ended in 1945, Meher Baba sent Venkoba to stay on the property at Byramangala along with his wife. Today Venkoba and his son V. Deva Rao look after the Centre activities.
Recently a Meher Baba Free Health Centre was set-up at Byramangala. Dr. A Subramaniam visits the Health Centre twice a week and on an average treats 30 patients on each clinic day. Early this year on Meher Baba's Birthday, fruits were distributed to 375 lepers at the Government Leprosy Hospital in Bangalore.