16th and pray once on that day, invoking God to complete His work of Manonash successfully, such as He desired. We women also observed the fast.

The Hyderabad meeting resulted in the phase which Baba designated "Manonash”—annihilation of the mind. This phase was spent in Pimpalgaon in strict seclusion and fast from October 1951 to February 1952.

Baba stated on August 9th at Hyderabad: "The third and final stage will be the most critical of all—so critical that when this stage draws near to its close Baba might drop his physical body. He therefore feels that he might want to spend this third and final stage in a place where he has close association with his Old Life disciples, even if it has no spiritual background. The most satisfactory place of this kind is the hill at Pimpalgaon, on which Baba once spent a period of seclusion during the Old Life."

What must have been a very beautiful and soul-touching ceremony was carried out by Baba at 9 a.m, on the morning of December 24th, 1951 (during the Seclusion) in his new Seclusion quarters at Pimpalgaon.

Naja, Rano and myself had been recalled from Bombay to Pimpalgaon and stayed at the Meherazad women's quarters with Mehera, Mani, Dr. Goher and Meheru. I remember the day before the ceremony, Baba had sent over to us the list of his devotees and disciples who had passed on during the years and whose names were to be read out the following day. Heading the list of men and women were Baba's Father and Mother.

The following message, dictated by Baba, was read out on December 24th and given in New Life Circular 33:

"Today, December 24th, 1951, in this New Life, knowing how unworthy I have been of the devotion, love and service of so many departed ones, I appeal in all humility to the most merciful and gracious God, that He should bestow His grace upon each of these departed ones according to their merits.

“I make this appeal more to myself than to God, so that I may remind myself of the physical absence of these dear ones. For I know that God, who is Infinite and All-knowing, performs all things without our asking and bestows His grace without our intercession.