In Memoriam

O Pigeon!

I accepted you as my honored guest

Because you had come from the Emperor!

But what a guest you were!

By obeying the Emperor's orders, you became the dust of his feet.

No one knew from where you came, or why.

But your coming portends our departure.

You came to annihilate your life of duality in illusion

And now you won't be born again, as if you had never suffered.

What a message you brought from the Emperor!

The importance of it cost you your life!

O God! What a wonderful game You are playing behind the veil!

            Though You are ever-manifest, Your game is a riddle to those who have eyes but are blind.

O Royal Pigeon, you have become a saint and now lie buried at Manzil-e-Meem.

Merwan kisses your feet in reverence.

That night, 11 September, Baba, accompanied by Gustadji, Ghani, Sadashiv, Adi and Sayyed Saheb, left Bombay by the Gujarat Mail train for Ajmer in northern India, arriving at midnight of the following day. They stayed in the Edward Memorial Serai (hotel), where Baba suffered watery stools (perhaps dysentery) and became seriously ill. The next day all rested well except Baba, who suffered six bowel movements.

On Thursday, 14 September, all fasted for 24 hours by the Master's order while visiting the tomb of the Perfect Master Khwaja Saheb Mu'inuddin Chishti. Chishti is famous for being the Qutub-e-Irshad (head of the spiritual hierarchy) of his time.  Sayyed Saheb and Ghani were told to recite the Fatiha (Muslim prayer in honor of the departed souls) inside the shrine.

Baba continued to suffer from diarrhea, passing green, black, brown and gray stools and became extremely weak. The men were sent to visit the Jain Golden Temple, the Dowlat Gardens and the Ana Sagar Lake, while Baba remained at the hotel. Ghani and Sayyed Saheb went to the Shah Jahan Mosque where they offered Friday namaz. 

Khak Saheb arrived on 16 September, and Baily two days later. Ghani and Khak Saheb visited Taragarh Hill where they saw the famous mosque said to have been miraculously erected in only two and a half days.

On 18 September, Baba directed the mandali to go to Pushkar, an important historical place of pilgrimage, ten miles to the northwest of Ajmer. Considering his state of health, the men refused to leave without him. Baba tried to explain, "If I had stayed here alone, I would have been all right by this evening. Yet since you will not go without me — and I do not wish to deprive you of enjoyment — I will come. But remember my words, it will be your fault that this present illness of mine will be prolonged for fifteen more days!"