LETTER FROM MEHERAZAD

Dearest Filis:

This is to wish you "Navroz Mubarukh " or Happy New Year in Persian for 21st March, the festival of Spring, is the Persian New Year.

The birthday message of love from yourself, Evelyn and the others of your group was received with love by Beloved.

On the Day of days, twenty-fifth February, we were up before dawn and gathered together to say aloud in one voice "Yazdan," — the Persian for God; then "Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!" Simultaneously the mandali said the "Jai" in the mandali's hall. Afterwards they played the Arti record on the mike, followed by some of Baba's favorite ghazal and bhajan records, which could be heard by the nearby village. The mandali's hall was most tastefully decorated, the whole ceiling was covered with paper flowers with special attention paid to decorations in the corner around Beloved's chair. Fresh flowers draped the entrances and paper bunting decorated the garden. Everything was most festive and Beloved Baba was in a specially goad mood.

In Ahmednagar, aside from the morning program at the Center, there was a procession in the evening. A full-length, life-sized photo of Beloved Baba, decorated with lights and all religious symbols was displayed. Over a hundred colorfully decorated bullock carts made up the procession and was accompanied by 30,000 people to the music of bands and folk dancing. Leejheem is a Hindu folk dance performed by men with a kind of tambourine which keeps in tempo with the music of drums; it is very rhythmic. These dances were performed whenever the procession halted. Everywhere people waited at windows and rooftops, to shower garlands and flowers towards Baba's photo.

We heard that New York Baba lovers had a very fine Birthday Program. Beloved Baba's dear love to you and to His dear one you meet.

Love from each of us,

  M.