Meher Mount's Treasures (Copy)
“One thing I want you all to know. You do not realize how very fortunate you are when I embrace you all.”
- Avatar Meher Baba at Meher Mount, 1956
AVATAR MEHER BABA at Meher Mount on August 2, 1956, walking with Meher Mount co-founder Agnes Baron and close disciple Eruch Jessawala. (Source: Adele Wolkin, who was part of the group visiting Meher Mount in 1956, gave this photograph to Meher Mount.)
TREASURES FROM AVATAR MEHER BABA
One of the many wonderful aspects related to the advent of Avatar Meher Baba is the wealth of preserved writings, documents, photographs, films, artifacts, and places related to Him. The places He has touched, His photographs, His words, and the artifacts of His Advent are all opportunities to remember Him and His life.
As one visitor said, “Avatar Meher Baba has provided us with a gateway to our higher self through His Presence. The people and places He has touched can help us feel His Presence and bring us closer to Him.” Meher Mount is one of those chosen places.
Each Meher Baba center has its own role in preserving specific archives related to Meher Baba. For Meher Mount, preservation focuses first on the land — this place made sacred by His Presence in 1956 — and on the touchstones of His visit.
PRESERVATION OF MEHER BABA’S TOUCHSTONES
Meher Mount is engaged in multi-year projects to preserve and protect two major touchstones of Meher Baba’s time at Meher Mount.
Baba’s Fireplace & Darshan Courtyard: What is now known as Baba’s Fireplace was part of the ‘Baba House’ where Meher Baba gave darshan (His blessing) on August 2, 1956. The building and its contents were destroyed by the 1985 New Life Fire, leaving only the fireplace. There is a project underway to create the Darshan Courtyard — an inviting, intimate and beautiful space by Baba’s Fireplace that evokes the room where He met with His followers.
BABA’S FIREPLACE & DARSHAN COURTYARD area mark the ‘Baba Room’ where Avatar Meher Baba met with His followers on August 2, 1956. There are plans to evoke this room with a covered courtyard for visitors. The benches are made from the fallen limbs of Baba’s Tree. (Photo: Margaret Magnus, 2019)
Baba’s Walkway: The other remaining touchstone from Meher Baba’s visit is a sandstone walkway used by Meher Baba to reach the ‘Baba House’ where He spent time with His followers. Excavation of what is now called Baba’s Walkway began in 2018 after the Thomas Fire and is an ongoing project. The walkway and flagstones are being restored and preserved as a remembrance of His visit.
JUAN MENDEZ is measuring each stone that is part of Baba’s Walkway as part of the archival and preservation process. This walkway was used by Avatar Meher Baba when He visited Meher Mount on August 2, 1956, to reach the ‘Baba House’ where He gave darshan (His blessing) to His followers. (Photo: Margaret Magnus, 2020)
These touchstones provide an ongoing connection to Meher Baba, His life and words. They provide an opportunity for visitors — both new and returning — to feel a deeper bond to Him and His Advent.
COLLECTing AND Preserving SELECTED Artifacts FOR MEHER MOUNT
First-time visitors to Meher Mount often ask “Who is Meher Baba?” and “What is this place?” Returning visitors often want to know about His time at Meher Mount and its history. The plan is to have an area in the Visitor Center that answers these questions in words, images and memorabilia.
Meher Mount is collecting, preserving, and sharing those images, documents, and artifacts associated with His time at Meher Mount and with the history of Meher Mount. In addition, Meher Mount welcomes selected artifacts from Avatar Meher Baba’s advent to share with visitors and pilgrims.
Meher Mount is not building an extensive archive of items related to Meher Baba – there are already a number of organizations for which this is their primary mission.
However, since Meher Mount is a Meher Baba place of world-wide pilgrimage, Meher Mount would like to share a few artifacts with the thousands of visitors who come to this special place in honor of Him.
All artifacts donated to Meher Mount will be preserved in consultation and based on recommendations from other archival organizations.
why your treasures MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The actual list of items possessed by Meher Mount is short due, in part, to the 1985 New Life Fire. The fire swept Meher Mount burning all the buildings, vehicles, and their contents.
LETTER SENT TO MEHER MOUNT upon the death of co-founder Agnes Baron from Mani S. Irani, Meher Baba’s sister and chairman of the Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust in India.
Meher Mount is searching for additional photos, documents and artifacts to help tell the Meher Baba-Meher Mount story.
Share Your Photos: Please look among your own photos – do you have any of Meher Mount, Agnes Baron, Jean Adriel or others who have visited Meher Mount?
Meher Mount is seeking photos or digital copies of photos about Meher Mount, Meher Baba’s 1956 visit, and/or any other aspect of Meher Mount, including what the property looked like before the 1985 New Life Fire.
All historical photos are preserved in archival housing and copies shared. More contemporaneous photographs are continually uploaded, cataloged and stored in the cloud on SmugMug.
Share Documents: Do you have any collections or papers or know of someone who does that would have correspondence related to Meher Mount, Agnes Baron or Jean Adriel?
If you know of any actual or potential correspondence and documents related to Meher Mount, Jean Adriel or Agnes Baron, please share that information.
All historical documents will be preserved in archival housing and copies shared.
Donate an Artifact: Do you have a sadra, pair of sandals or other Meher Baba artifact that you would like to see preserved and shared?
Meher Mount would work with in honoring your wishes, preserving the items and determining how best to share them.
If you want to discuss sharing locating, collecting or photos, documents or donating an artifact, please contact Meher Mount.