Baba called his brother Jal, Eruch and Adi Sr. to Raipur on August 5th (1944). That evening, Deshmukh delivered an inspiring speech about Meher Baba, which made hundreds of citizens eager for his darshan.
Suddenly that night, Baba’s health collapsed. The public darshan was scheduled to take place the next day, and Jal Kerawala grew worried. He had invited many well-known people who had heard of Baba but who had never met him, including the maharaja of Baghbahara and other high officials of the state. Jal was naturally anxious about the consequences of canceling the program.
Baba informed him, “How can I give darshan now? I feel terrible. Cancel the whole affair.”
In a panic, Jal brought several different medicines, and stacked them all on the table beside Baba’s bed. But they had no effect, and Baba began vomiting.
The following morning, throngs of people began coming to the bungalow for darshan. Calling Jal to him Baba remarked, “I feel very, very weak. I cannot stand! I feel giddy. What am I to do?”
Jal was in an awkward position. Weeks of hard work had gone into preparing for the function. What was he to do? Were he to cancel the program, people would start backbiting him, as those invited were quite new to Baba. He also did not wish to see Baba’s name slandered; because for days in the Gujarati newspapers there were articles of propaganda against Baba, misguiding the people of the city. Jal wished them to see Baba in person, and judge for themselves whether all the allegations were true or false.
Such thoughts were racing through his mind when Baba gestured, “I will try for your sake. If I can sit, I will; otherwise, I will return to my room.” Holding Jal’s hand, Baba sat up in bed with obvious difficulty. He then tentatively stood up and staggered a few paces. Jal’s heart was racing and his hands trembled.
But no sooner was Baba out of the room, then like a flash of light, he suddenly became energetic, and his face assumed its usual rosy glow. He strode rapidly to his seat on the dais, and his divine smile diffused rays of joy throughout the gathering.
For Jal Kerawala, it was a unique experience, and a new understanding dawned upon him about the Master. The darshan went on from morning to evening, and Baba’s smile was like nectar to the sincere who approached him for darshan. The light of his divine splendor pervaded Raipur, while qawaali singers entertained the crowd.
In between, Baba also gave spiritual explanations to the gathering. Almost five thousand persons had Baba’s darshan that day, and later a few came for individual interviews. One of them was Kunj Bihari Chobe, who later translated all the Master’s Discourses into Hindi. Dr. Baldev P. Mishra, who edited Chobe’s work, also came very close to Baba at this time.
The day-long darshan seemed not to tire Baba in the least, and Jal Kerawala could only shake his head in amazement at Baba’s divine leela.
Lord Meher, Bhau Kalchuri, Original Publication, Vol. 8, pp. 2963 – 2964.