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Ahmednagar, where the program was held, there were thousands of others who had to travel several miles, either afoot or in bullock carts. Others of Baba's devotees had come from as far as Bombay and Andhra; while we Westerners had, of course, come many thousands of miles.
The Indian people, dressed as they were, in many-hued saris and turbans, made a very colorful assemblage. They were from every class and creed. Among them were the aged, the lame and the blind. Many women carried babes in arms. In this huge crowd one felt that the differences, which ordinarily separate one group of people from another, were completely forgotten. We watched as Mohammedans, Hindus, Parsees and Christians commingled with those of so-called higher caste and lower caste, the well-to-do and the very poor, to become one homogeneous stream of humanity, united and humble in their appreciation of the great and rare privilege it was for them all to have a personal contact with the God-man. Baba, himself, declared the importance of this personal contact when He said, "No explanations or discourses can compare with the personal contact. I feel I am in all. It is Baba bowing down to Baba."
Baba made this statement at the so-called "Little Darshan" on September 26th, which was given for those, who, because of the huge crowd on the 12th of September, were unable to contact Him on that day. At this "Little Darshan" about 8,000 people filed past Him—touching His hands or His feet, or placing sweet-smelling garlands of jasmine around His neck. Baba said, "Whatever anyone takes Me for, I am that."
On both days we were near Baba most of the time, and we watched with heartfelt wonder as this profoundly impressive drama between the Divine Beloved and the humanity for whom He has taken incarnation, took place before us. We deeply felt the soul-stirring significance of these long hours of Divine Love in action and, in our hearts, we knew that new Light was being shed along the pathway that humanity must tread on its pilgrimage toward the Infinite.
From Fred Frey Jr.:
On September 19th, 1954, Baba played for us Indian and Persian recordings. In His presence the music itself sounded enchanting, but a sudden thought struck me, "Would this music sound as beautiful when He was not in the same room?" That evening I played the same discs again and they
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