Baba visited the site of his proposed center on the 7th, as work for the foundation-laying ceremony began. Pendu, Padri, Kalemama, Naoroji, Adi Sr. and Vishnu were busy arranging the affair. A large pavilion was erected, invitations were printed and mailed out, and announcements given in all major newspapers inviting the public to attend.

On Sunday, 17 December 1939, the foundation-laying ceremony for Meher Baba's Universal Center was held. Besides the general public, Baba lovers from Bombay, Poona, Nasik and Ahmednagar attended. Forty buses were hired to carry them from Bangalore. About 4,000 persons participated, including Sir Mirza (the Dewan of Mysore) and other important government officials. Baba came in Elizabeth's car with Kaka, Jal Kerawalla, Norina and Nadine; he was dressed in a sadra and a brick-red coat.

The program began at 4:30 P.M., when the head of the reception committee, Pappa Jessawala, garlanded Baba on his arrival. In the Master's honor, Syed Rasul Arif recited a poem in Urdu and Sampath Aiyangar delivered a speech. Ghani then explained the significance of the seven-metal spade which Baba would use to break the ground.  Baba proceeded to break the ground and lay the foundation. Sitting on a special stone seat (which was to be kept as a cornerstone of the future building), Baba rose and scooped a little earth with the special shovel as acclamations in his praise rent the air. Baba struck the earth seven times and sat back on his special seat. The following message from him was then read out by Aiyangar:

The world is at war today. It has engulfed all departments of life — political, economic, social and religious.

The instinct of self-preservation, enhanced by fear and uncertainty of the future, is aggressively active in the guise of various pseudonyms and catchwords. Exclusiveness is parading as nationalism; self-interest is known as economics; fanaticism is synonymous with religion; libertinism is looked upon as social and moral freedom; and exploitation is termed politics.

This instinct of self-preservation is legitimate and natural in the lower order of life, in the lower scale of evolution. But, when it expresses itself through man, it makes of himself nothing more than a talking animal, and, as such, he is yet a long way from deserving the title, "The Best of Creation."

Is it anybody's fault if one finds oneself on the right side of things or the wrong side of things? No! Every human being has come to serve and achieve a definite purpose, and by playing his part to perfection, he automatically works out his own salvation.