Volume 2 Number 3 Page 7

At three o'clock He left the platform and was away for fifteen minutes at another part of the park, where 20,000 poor people who were being fed by Him, were seated, waiting for Him to begin their repast, which consisted of wheat grains with curry-sauce, served on large leaf plates. They would not think of eating until Baba first partook of their food.

Seated alongside of Baba on the edge of the platform all during the darshan was Gadejai Maharaj, an elderly saint who is highly respected through-out India. Every so often loving exchanges would take place between Baba and Gadejai, and occasionally incidents would occur which seemed to amuse them highly. One woman, who evidently believed in collecting as many blessings as possible while she could, having touched Baba's feet and received her "gift from God," tried also to touch Gadejai’s feet as she passed him. Gadejai drew himself up in displeasure, but Baba smiled and Gadejai softened.

One of the most extraordinary features of the program was the appearance on the platform, in the late afternoon, of those women disciples of Baba who had heretofore been in seclusion—their first appearance in public.

It was wonderful to see again many of Baba's closest disciples, whom we had met and come to love either on previous visits to India or when they accompanied Baba on His journeys to the West, and to meet for the first time some of His devotees from Southern India, all of whom contributed considerably to that strange, but marvelous dissolving process which always takes place when one is with Baba.

The last glimpse we had of Baba as He left the park was one in which He was seated on the top of an automobile, bowing in every direction to crowds of people reluctant to let Him go. He had seated Himself first on the hood, giving darshan to late-comers, but the press grew too great, and He retreated to the top, and the car moved slowly out of the park with the Avatar in a distinctly novel position.

For all of us this last "mass darshan" of Baba will be a memorable event which will grow in significance as we grow in understanding. We are grateful to Baba for having made it possible for us to participate in it.