BELOVED BABA'S INTERMENT

The women Mandali occupied the empty rooms on Meherabad hill. They would come several times each day to see Baba in the Tomb. The long queues of men, women and children would then be temporarily stopped and the Tomb vacated. Mehera and the other women Mandali would then enter the Tomb. To see Mehera walking from her room to the Tomb in a dazed condition and crying was very touching. She would come to the North window of the Tomb and touch her head to the window. She would then bow at the West window. When she arrived at the entrance, someone would remove her slippers. She would stand at the door step as if dazed, with tears rolling down her cheeks, hands raised a little in adoration and completely oblivious of the thousands watching her. She would step inside the Tomb to be followed by the other women Mandali. The doors would then be closed and all we could then hear was sobbing.

Just before the door opened for her to come out, "Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!" would be shouted by all. She would come out of the door and again turn towards Baba, completely lost in her sorrow. Someone would help her with her slippers. She would bow once, twice and again and again. She would not like to miss a glimpse of Baba for a second. She would take a step and turn back, look at Baba and shed a fresh deluge of tears and then slowly move on. The parting from Baba was an extremely painful one. In her farewell moments we could see how deeply she was moved. In thoughts or deeds, in stillness or action, alone or in multitudes, she will remain one with her Beloved Baba....

The Westerners were lodged at Ahmednagar where Sarosh Irani and his wife Villoo catered to their needs. They would come each morning and evening and sit inside the Tomb or move around. Dr. Harry Kenmore knew the dimensions and all that the Tomb contained after Eruch had made him feel the walls, taken him round the crypt on the landing and down the steps to touch Baba's feet. He would sit on the landing often singing "Begin the Beguine." He would daily want a thorough medical report of Baba's "health" which he would be careful to register on his wire recorder. He would say the Parvardigar prayer and the Repentance prayer when requested to do so. Once, Mehera and the women Mandali came to the Tomb specially to hear him say these prayers.

Each day began and ended with Baba's arti in which all participated. Sometimes, in the evenings, beside the usual arti, one in Marathi would be sung. Very often during the day a lover would enter the Tomb and say the two prayers. Keshav Nigum, the backbone of the Hamirpur Centre, though now suffering from Parkinson's disease, would stand in the Tomb and say the "Meher Chalisa" (forty verses written by him in praise of Baba).

The Tomb was kept open all twenty four hours for seven days but for a couple of hours on two nights. No one can judge how many lovers came for this final sahavas. Each evening Sarosh Irani would apologise on behalf of the trustees of the Avatar Meher Baba Trust for not being able to provide even the bare necessities of life to the lovers. He would then request the lovers to leave Meherabad after having had Baba's darshan so that new-comers could find place for accommodation. As the lovers left, with hearts full of love that Baba had awakened in them, they carried Baba's message of hope for mankind now on the verge of despair in all walks of life. Once an inner contact is established with Baba, the Divine Shepherd feeds His sheep with His love, wherever He is, wherever they are, irrespective of time or space.

Each evening at sunset the electric generator would go into action lighting up about forty fluorescent lights. The normal lighting system had to rely on kerosene lamps. In the dark background, Meherabad hill would seem brilliantly lit like a fairyland not only by the lights but by the love of His lovers. Passengers from trains and buses passing along the road would watch the feast of love on the hill. They would bow reverentially to the One without a second. Trains would whistle as they passed the hill — the drivers were saluting the Avatar of the Age.

Every morning all would be eager to know Dr. Goher's report about Baba's health. No one could speculate when Baba's body would be interred for the trustees had declared that they would do so on the first signs of decomposition. When the medical report was known, all felt very happy that they could be with their Beloved for one more day. On the third day, there were soft murmurs and whisperings amongst the lovers, "Would there be a resurrection today?" The feeling of expectancy, of seeing Baba rise, walk and talk sustained the lovers through the day. Then, on the fourth day some were heard saying, "Maybe He will rise today!"

The eighth day, Friday 7th February, dawned. Lovers were awake from three in the night. This was the last day of the sahavas as Baba's body was to be interred at 12:15 p.m. The trustees had decided on this issue at a meeting. Coincidentally, it was Baba's birthday according to the Zoroastrian calender. Ladies were dressed in fine clothes and seemed quite gay. By 4:30 a.m. all had collected at the Tomb. Eruch and a few others were busy arranging blocks of ice, changing the covers placed over Baba and rearranging roses in the crypt. It was announced that exactly at 5:00 a.m., Baba's birth time, all should call "Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!" three times. Eruch said that when Baba was with them physically, He always celebrated His birthday in this simple manner by asking the Mandali to shout "Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!" at 5:00 a.m.

Mehera, Mani and the women Mandali went inside the Tomb at 4:50 a.m. All stood around the Tomb singing Baba's name, "Sat Chit Ananda Paramananda, Meher Baba Vidyanand." At exactly 5:00 a.m. all joined in three loud cheers of "Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!" Soon after the women Mandali had garlanded Baba, the doors of the Tomb were opened and they left. The darshan programme started.

...7th February, 1969. The darshan programme began at 5:00 a.m. Everyone bowed down at the threshold and looked at their Beloved for the last time. Only groupheads and a few others were allowed inside the Tomb. A very few lucky ones got the chance of going down to the crypt and touching Baba. After 7:00 a.m. no one was permitted to enter the Tomb except the two on duty, one at the door and the one fanning Baba. Almost all the women and many men came inside to offer their last service of fanning their Beloved. Each one was given the fan for about two minutes. After dawn there was a tremendous rush. Newspapers in Poona, Ahmednagar and in other areas has announced that today would be the last darshan and that Baba's body would be interred at 12:15 p.m., exactly seven days after He dropped His body.

Adi K. Irani, Baba's secretary and disciple for over four decades, came inside the Tomb at about 9:00 a.m. He sat on the landing of the crypt intently gazing at Baba for whom he had given his all. There was not a sacrifice which he had not made in the cause of His Beloved. His money, his lands, his property, his body, mind and heart all had been sacrificed in His love for Baba. Not only this life but millions of lives he would sacrifice at the feet of Baba.

He sat there with his elbow on his thigh and his hand supporting his head while he remained unmindful of the rush of lovers at the door. He was lost in the memories of his past with Baba: the hard work Baba had extracted from him; the fun he had had playing, eating and moving about with Baba; the mast tours on which he had been with Baba; the days when he had heard Baba sing and talk; the days when Baba had taken him on world tours and tours to the West; the days he had spent working, toiling in his office in the cause of Baba.

All this and much more came into his mind. Now, he would be deprived of his Beloved's company, His warm embrace and His smile that would remove the fatigue of days. As all these memories came back to him, his eyes were filled with tears which overflowed from a heart that knows real love. One could see him wiping away those love tears every few minutes. Saying farewell to Baba was especially very poignant after spending so many years with Him.

Some lovers who had heard that Baba's body had not yet been interred, rushed to Ahmednagar and came on the last day. An Irani family was one of them. They came inside the Tomb and the flood-gates of their hearts opened and suffused their eyes with tears. These fortunate ones had a chance to see Baba before He was taken away from our physical sight for all times.

Baba had once said: "My lovers and fortunate to have God in human form in their presence. Just a glance from me can give you all you need. You will be sitting here without any outward change, but you will become what you really are -- you have to wait for that moment. That moment is near and for that you have to love me whole-heartedly... In Avataric periods, one does not necessarily have to make the inward journeys by stages. If you have the Grace of the Avatar, He just takes you from where you are to where you should be, where God wants you to be."...

On the last day someone remembered Mohammed, the mast at Meherabad. He was brought to the Tomb by Padri and Sidhuji. Though bent at his waist, having dug 'deesh' all his life, he can stand erect for some time. He stood at the threshold of the Tomb and would not come in even when asked to do so. He said, "Pahile, pahile" meaning "Seen, seen." He meant he had seen Baba. He then said "Bus, bus" meaning "Enough, enough." He went back with his guardians to his room.

Kekobad, one of the Mandali, was bought on a chair by four strong men. He had broken his hip and so was unable to walk. Baba had said that Kekobad can see Him continuously all day and night in a small flame. Kekobad repeats Baba's name 100,000 times daily since many years!

Once, an old lady, completely bent at right angles at her waist, came in. She would put her hand on her forehead to avoid the glare on her eyes so that she could see Baba in the crypt. When asked whether she could see Baba, she just shook her head in the negative. She seemed to have got hypermature cataracts in both eyes! She was led to the landing of the crypt and only after she had sat down there and a torch light focused on Baba's face, could she see Him. It was then that Eruch told us that she was Valu, an old and faithful devotee of Baba from the early twenties. She was very dear to Baba and though she could not see Baba well, Baba saw her and acknowledged her long, sincere, unselfish and loving services for the Avatar of the Age. Tears came into her eyes as she remembered the years she had spent with Baba. They were tears of love.

Thousands came from Ahmednagar and from the nearby villages. All bowed at the threshold, folded their hands and moved on. They left, but the silent inner voice of their loving, aching hearts raised a cry. "When shall we behold that Beloved face again!" Their only solace was Baba's words, "I am always with you, taking care of you; wherever I am, wherever you are, I am with you helping you." Those who came received His love in silence.

Baba has said, "Devotees spend their lifetime savings and even risk life itself in pilgrimages to bow down before God in forms sanctified by tradition, and their rewards are according to tradition. But you have journeyed to bow down before God who has taken human form because of love and your reward will be according to your love."

At 11:20 a.m. all had taken Baba's darshan. The trustees came in the Tomb and finalised plans. A movie cameraman and his assistant were permitted inside. Exactly at 12:00 noon, Dr. H. Kenmore said the Parvardigar prayer. At 12:15 three loud cheers of "Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!" rang out. The doors of the Tomb were temporarily closed and Baba was covered with a clean sheet. Eruch then removed the ice blocks, passing them on to the Mandali who stood around. These, in turn, passed the blocks to the Westerners who stood outside the Tomb. When all the blocks were removed, the pink cloth round His head was changed for the last time. His hair was brushed, the scarf round His head made tidy, dust particles on His face softly wiped away and new roses adorned Him.

Mehera and the women Mandali came for their last darshan. All stood silently around the Tomb. In the pin-drop silence, only the loud sobs could be heard of the one who loved the only One as He should be loved. The women Mandali put a garland round Baba and with eyes that betrayed the sorrow in their hearts, they stepped out of the Tomb.

Baba's men Mandali now collected in the Tomb. The coffin lid was passed on by lovers to the door of the Tomb. The lid was brought inside and ropes tied to the four handles on its corners. Just before it was placed over Baba, Eruch went down in the crypt and placed over Beloved Baba's face a very fine scarf given by Mehera. The coffin lid was then lifted by the Mandali standing on the crypt landing. Amongst loud shouts of "Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!" the lid was slowly lowered over Baba with the help of the ropes, hiding Him from our sight for all time. Was Baba now teaching us to see Him not physically but in our hearts? Many tears were shed as the lid was lowered. Mehera and the women Mandali watched the lid being lowered from the North window. Baba was now taken away from our physical sight but will live in the hearts of His lovers forever.

After the coffin lid was placed over Baba, the Mandali came out of the Tomb. Mehera and the women Mandali once again went in. Over the lid of the coffin they placed a huge garland of roses. Though Baba was gone physically, He could not go away from their hearts as they now feel His presence all the more.

After Mehera and the others left, flowers were put by the men Mandali on the coffin. Thousands were waiting outside the Tomb. A "ghamela" (pan) full of earth was then brought inside the Tomb and each of the Mandali put a handful of earth on the coffin very solemnly. The trustees decided that each lover instead of coming inside the Tomb and placing some earth on the coffin, should only touch the earth kept at the threshold and this would then be emptied over the coffin. The long queue began and one after another each one came to the door, touched the earth, bowed and left. When all had had this privilege, the "ghamela" was picked up and the earth emptied on the coffin.

Later, earth was filled in "ghamelas" and passed from one lover to another and these were emptied very quickly in the crypt. The crypt was soon full to the level of the landing. A stone slab was put between the crypt and the steps leading to it. The steps were even covered with earth. As it was Baba's birthday according to the Zoroastrian calendar, prasad was distributed to all who had come for the last darshan.

At 5:00 p.m. the crypt was full of earth and the Tomb was swept and cleaned. Baba's seven coloured flag was put on the earth in the crypt. Mehera, Mani and the women Mandali went inside and placed a garland on the flag. Only a few lovers were left at Meherabad by now. Most of them had departed and were on their way home. Very soon the sun could be seen setting on the horizon throwing its rays on the Tomb. The rays lit up the four emblems of the four religions standing at the four corners of the Tomb and the words "Mastery in Servitude" written over the door.

Blessed are they who recognized Him as God in human form, loved and surrendered their all unto Him. Meher Baba's last sahavas and the long story of the Ancient One had now come to a close, but it marked the beginning of an endless new story!