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

THE FIRST TEN YEARS 93birthday was celebrated at Nasik, with a large attendance of Hindu, Parsee, Muslim, and Christiandevotees from an early hour. From nine to ten-thirty the devotees washed Baba's feet, then he waspresented with sweetmeats and flowers; at eleven-thirty there was a speech given in his honour;afterwards the arti ceremony, followed by the distribution of sweetmeats. The celebrationscontinued until the evening.At the end of February, Baba left N asik for South India with a party of fourteen to visit Poona,Kolhapur, Belgaum, Dharwar, and Hubli. They went on to Madras with the object of opening theMeher Ashram at Madras-Saidapet on 2 March, and to meet devotees in the south. He stayed oneday visiting many people and institutions, and attended a large public meeting. Afterwards Babawent to the Nilgris via Mysore, then the ancient city of Bijapur, returning to Nasik on 12 March.Towards the end of March he visited Sholapur to attend the marriage of a son of one of hisdevotees, and at the beginning of April returned to Meherabad, staying there for six days,afterwards visiting Kolhapur and other places.In June Baba went to Kashmir again, privately this time, by train, and, save for intermittentreturns to N asik, the rest of the year was spent in visits to many places where stays of a few dayswere made. On 22 November an English journalist paid a visit to Baba at Meherabad for twodays. He then went for a tour accompanied by Swami Prajnananda, an Englishman, and duringthe first part by Baba's brother Jal. Baba returned to Nasik, and at the end of the month went toDelhi, where his health broke down, which was no wonder after the continual journeyings. Hereturned to Ahmednagar on 23 December, and went to Nasik on 30 December.The December 1930 number of the Meher Message contained the following editorialstatement:'HIS DIVINE MAJESTY'The use of this phrase has caused so much unnecessary heart-burnings and has given needlessoffence to so many persons that we have decided to drop it from our next number ... at least forsome time.It appears from the pages of the magazine that the controversy between the editor and otherdisciples had been developing, for the expression of excessive devotion was objected to,everything being acerbated by the activities of the editor in connection with Indian politics, forBaba and his disciples take no part in politics.