MEHERU DAMANIA
(Wife of Sawak Damania)
Meheru Damania was the cousin of Eruch and she undertook cooking for Baba and Mandali. Sevak Damania of Akbar Press had been in Baba’s contact since childhood and was engaged to marry Eruch’s sister Meheru.
Many of her lifetime episodes and conversation with Meher Baba are elaborated as under:
In June 1937, the engagement ceremony of Meheru (Eruch’s sister) with Khorshed’s brother Sevak Damania was held at Akbar Press in Ahmednagar. Baba was present with few westerners at the small ceremony. Baba garlanded the couple and applied kumkum to their foreheads, and they exchanged rings before Baba.
In 1942, Gaimai’s sister, Shirin Damania, and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Meheru Damania had been informed beforehand that both should be on the railway station to meet the group with lunch for all. At the train station, and Baba and the women went to the waiting room, where they sat down for lunch. Baba turned to Meheru (Damania) and asked, “Have you forgotten anything?” She immediately remembered she had left vegetables cooking on the stove at Akbar Press. She told Baba, adding frantically, “It must have burnt to a crisp by now!” Baba sent Adi Sr. to bring the vegetables. The gas stove had somehow extinguished itself and the dish was saved.
On Monday, 28 May 1945, the weddings of Meheru Damania, (Eruch’s sister) and Savak Damania, took place at Akbar Press. It was not so much a marriage as a gathering of celebration for Baba’s lovers from Bombay, Poona and Ahmednagar. Baba and the Meherabad mandali went to Akbar Press to attend the weddings, and the ceremony turned into a darshan!
In 1947, at Meherabad, Baba would go up the hill twice a day to see the women, but He had breakfast from the mandali’s kitchen. Adi Sr. drove to Meherabad twice a day to take Baba up and down the hill, and brought meals for Baba, prepared by Eruch’s sister, Meheru Damania.
On Friday, 13 February 1948, Baba’s 54th birthday was observed (according to the Parsi calendar) Baba called the women from Meherabad to Pimpalgaon for a bhajan performance by an Arangaon group. Meheru Damania (Eruch’s sister) participated along with other ladies group.
In 1949, to celebrate Mehera’s birthday, Baba took the women to the Gheun Deolali dak bungalow, not far from Meherazad. Adi Sr. brought Gulmai, Meheru Damania and Jibboo, accompanied with the food prepared by Chhagan.
In 1951, the food was sent once a day from Ahmednagar for Baba and others. Eruch’s sister Meheru Damania prepared and sent it with a boy named Ramchandra. Baba had ordered her to send only two items per day, which she did. However, these two dishes contained a mixture of several other eatables!
On 15th February 1953, Baba left by car for Poona. Eruch then traveled with them to Dehra Dun. On their way, they stopped at the Salvation Army’s Evangeline Booth Hospital in Ahmednagar to visit Eruch’s sister Meheru Damania. She had not been well for months and had recently undergone a gallbladder operation. Later she was diagnosed with cancer. Baba comforted her and reminded her to remember him and repeat his name.
On 28 September 1953, Meheru Damania, a young woman, a close follower of Baba’s, passed away at the age of 32, from pancreatic cancer. The last time Baba had seen her, he had remarked, “You have worked hard but soon you will have rest.” A telegram from Adi Sr. in Ahmednagar was received, informing Baba about the death of Eruch’s younger sister. On her deathbed at Khushru Quarters, Meheru’s final words were: “Tell Baba that my journey has come to an end. Salutations to Him.”
Meheru had helped cook during the Blue Bus travels. After receiving the telegram about her passing, Baba sent Eruch and others to see a movie. Eruch appeared not in the least affected by the news. He was his usual self as if nothing had happened.
After Meheru’s demise, Baba sent a telegram to the Satha family in Ahmednagar saying that Meheru was now happy and asking them to send Him dakshina (an offering) of Rs. five thousand for His work in Dehra Dun, which they promptly did.