Lighting of the First Dhuni at Meherabad:
Ahmednagar (now Ahilyanagar), and the surrounding villages of Meherabad, fall under the rain shadow region of the Deccan plateau. Agriculture is totally dependent upon the mercy of monsoons, which usually begin around mid or end of May. After the initial showers, there is usually a dry spell. The secondary monsoon is when the returning rain-bearing clouds give the season’s parting rains in the month of September-October.
This is the story of a hundred years ago: the year – 1925. Monsoon had failed to the point of scarcity of even drinking water. Villagers from neighbouring areas approached Baba in early November for rain. There was a danger of losing their rabi (autumn) crops due to prolonged drought. Baba advised them, “Be patient.”
Late evening on Tuesday, 10th November 1925, after a day of exhausting activity, when Baba was in the midst of a discussion with the mandali, the villagers came once again, beseeching Baba for rain. Thereupon, Baba asked the mandali to sing Upasni Maharaj’s arti and ordered a pit to be dug and a Dhuni (sacred fire) to be lit. The fire was started at eleven that night. Baba informed the villagers, “God has heard your prayers. Now go straight home.” Although there had been no clouds in the sky prior to the lighting of the Dhuni, an hour later there was a heavy downpour. The showers lasted for fifteen hours and the villagers’ crops were saved. This was the first time that Baba ordered the Dhuni to be lit at Meherabad.