4/2/12
I can't believe its April already. I arrived here in the cold of February! The bus journey was comfortable - Mercedez-Benz coach with A/C. Four and a half hour journey for $6.60. Getting to the bus stop was another Mumbai story. The pictures speak for themselves. Then in Poona I found my hotel by 4:00 p.m. so after a quick bite I was able to go out and explore by foot. It turns out I had chosen my hotel location very well for the Baba trail. After a few false turns and hesitations I found his home and then his high school and then the shrine of Babajan. I was hoping to find the neem tree and its site looking its natural self - no such luck - we westerners are no better of course - but it is cut down to a stump, covered in decoration and the shrine sight is build up with marble around her burial place! But with some amazing timing, unplanned by me, I arrived at Babajan's shrine not only at the appointed hour of the day for visiting the shrine 6:30 p.m. but also on the second day of the 81st annual week-long festival in honor of her (marking her death, or her transition to another life). The video I took captures the scene better than any photo, but it is hard to upload video. Tomorrow I will return to Baba's home in the morning when it is open for darshan from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.. Later at 3:00 p.m. I will catch my bus to Ahmednagar.
The room that I saw so much of in Mumbai, deserves a picture, as do my two trusty bags housing all my belongings
Mirror mirror on the wall...
My auto-rickshaw driver's posture kind of says it all
This proximity of vehicles is typical in the cities. Driver's instinct and mind reading of other drivers is key it seems
The bus office clerk fancied my hat
Meher Baba's family home in Poona
The high school which Baba attended (above and below)
Along the street in a Catholic church, familiar meetings in a familiar setting
And not forgetting the special needs of women
Hazrat Babajan's shrine tomb in Poona (above and below). The haze is not on account of my camera. It is the effect of the light on incense.
Three faces that clearly wanted to be pictured outside the shrine - so I obliged
I can't believe its April already. I arrived here in the cold of February! The bus journey was comfortable - Mercedez-Benz coach with A/C. Four and a half hour journey for $6.60. Getting to the bus stop was another Mumbai story. The pictures speak for themselves. Then in Poona I found my hotel by 4:00 p.m. so after a quick bite I was able to go out and explore by foot. It turns out I had chosen my hotel location very well for the Baba trail. After a few false turns and hesitations I found his home and then his high school and then the shrine of Babajan. I was hoping to find the neem tree and its site looking its natural self - no such luck - we westerners are no better of course - but it is cut down to a stump, covered in decoration and the shrine sight is build up with marble around her burial place! But with some amazing timing, unplanned by me, I arrived at Babajan's shrine not only at the appointed hour of the day for visiting the shrine 6:30 p.m. but also on the second day of the 81st annual week-long festival in honor of her (marking her death, or her transition to another life). The video I took captures the scene better than any photo, but it is hard to upload video. Tomorrow I will return to Baba's home in the morning when it is open for darshan from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.. Later at 3:00 p.m. I will catch my bus to Ahmednagar.
Along the street in a Catholic church, familiar meetings in a familiar setting
And not forgetting the special needs of women
Wow - I love the flat screen telly in the Mumbai hotel room. I think it's time that we finally get one! The 12-step meetings in English - made me chuckle.
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