THE GOD-MAN The Life, Journeys and Work of Meher Baba with an ...

252 THE GOD-MANthey set off for Sakori. The cars stopped for a time at Rahuri, where there had been the mast ashram.Hundreds of people were there to meet him and he walked through the town, busy looking, a centre ofsugar-growing, with three sugar factories. The mandali arrived on top of a public bus as their own smallbus had broken down. While we were waiting we told stories at Baba's suggestion, he listening withpleasure.Sakori was reached at 9.35. We were met by a large gathering of villagers with a band of cymbals anddrums from the ashram, also the town band with brass instruments and a banner, and a white pony andsmall donkey. The party was conducted to the ashram, led by the bands. The ashram, founded by UpasniMaharaj, contains his tomb. The area had been scrub and a cremation ground; but now contains extensivebuildings where men and women devotees of Maharaj live. There is a dairy with herds of cattle. All at theashram have to work; the pony and donkey draw the water. The head of the ashram is Godavri, whom theparty had met before, a small, serious, sometimes smiling woman. Baba was garlanded, and brought thegroup first to the women's quarters, then to Maharaj's shrine and temple, the dairy and other buildings. Heinsisted that we should he careful to be near him wherever he went. There was a large crowd of people.Baba said:This old man (Upasni Maharaj) was God. I said at my last visit here that I would not stop again inSakori. But I remembered that he had once said that visitors would come here from other lands to dodevotion, and to fulfil this I had to come and bring you here. Now my work here is finished. After themeetings of the 29th and 30th, the following three months will be for my final work, to break my silence,to manifest, and then to die a violent death, all in quick succession. You should all bow down at Maharaj'stomb. I am the Ancient One. When he threw that stone at me I knew I was the Ancient One.What Baba had said first in English was translated into Marathi. Arti was sung by a dwarf woman. Babasaid: 'You all can have no idea how happy I am here. Godavri is the Mother here and all are hercompanions. She met Maharaj when two and a half years old. He put her on his lap and said, "All thisbelongs to you". They all live a life dedicated to my Master. I love her most dearly.' The nuns were dressedin yellow saris and the candidates in white.Upasni Maharaj, said Baba, was a tall heavy man, usually naked, except for a gunny cloth and sandalswhen going out, at one time for fourteen months and twelve days he lived in a bamboo cage and tooknothing but coffee once a day. The cage was about three feet by three