A summary of Avatar Meher Baba's visits to Hyderabad
Source: This article is an edited version of the one appeared in the 'Avatar Meher Baba Andhra (Jubilee Hills) Center Souvenir ' ,14th Nov. 1986
Hyderabad is a blessed city because of its richness in saints and walis. It is the singular city in the world where Baba contacted more than eighty ‘masts’ in His spiritual work.
Avatar Meher Baba paid His first visit to this fortunate city on 9th December ,1938. He was accompanied by 22 members of His Mandali while traveling by blue bus driven by Elizabeth Patterson. Though he visited the city a number of times for His spiritual work connected with the masts, His long stay was for about six months from 10th March to 6th September, 1945. In 1951 Baba came and stayed with His Mandali in the bungalow of Nawab Ali Navaz Jung at Jubilee Hills and conducted an important meeting, called the ‘Hyderabad Meeting’, on its first floor on 28th June, 1951.
This photograph was taken at the Jubilee Hills Residence, Hyderabad on 30th June, 1951
In this meeting Baba revealed His plans of undertaking one of the most important phases of spiritual work known as man-o-nash (Annihilation of mind). Mind exists even when a new body is not given to the soul. It is the mind state of heaven and hell. But mind has to die while it is in the human body, retaining full consciousness. This is the goal, so explained by Meher Baba. It was in this meeting that Baba decided to begin His mano-o-nash work in the cave on the hill adjacent to the Khojaguda village. After the meeting was over Baba along with His Mandali visited various places in the city like Charminar, Mecca Masjid, Public Gardens etc. On His way at one place he instructed the driver to stop the car and told Mandali “I like Hyderabad for its spiritual atmosphere, specially for its Hindu Muslim unity in matters Spiritual".
The city of Hyderabad is unique in another way also. As legend goes, Jesus the Christ gave His gown to one of His disciple instructing him not to part with it at any time wherever he went. The disciple who reached the highest state of spiritual perfection called Sadguru (Qutub or Perfect Master) happened to visit a place between two lakes surrounded by forests and rocky hills in the vicinity of Hyderabad. Once the king of the state came for hunting. When his men came across this saint, they asked him to leave that place. But the sage would not. So the king was informed. He ordered them to use force and send him away. The soldier could not do it and another regiment was sent for the purpose. And they too could not dislodge the saint. Hearing this, the king himself came to the site. On seeing the saint the king was so much impressed by his divinity, that he not only allowed the saint to continue there, but also became his disciple for spiritual guidance. Years rolled by. A young man became his disciple and won his grace. The Sadguru before he dropped his body, handed over the original gown of the Christ with an instruction not to leave that place; and even if he had to leave the place he should not take the gown to any other place. When world war II broke out, this man by force of circumstances had to leave his master’s seat. So he dug a pit and buried the gown.
