This Katie Irani video series is dedicated to Avatar Meher Baba and His work through His close Mandali members, with special emphasis on Katie Irani.
Before her reunion with Meher Baba, Katie Irani initiated this series, by requesting that copies of footage and photos taken during her public talks worldwide be given to her estate (much of this is still coming in, and most welcome.) Katie herself gave the guidelines for this series, including her intention: “I feel that Baba wants this. It will draw people closer to Baba, and also people will come to visit Meher Baba’s Samadhi” located in Meherabad, 7 km from Ahmednagar, Maharashtra State, India. Jai Baba!
An autobiographical internet video series in which Katie tells her own stories is found on this website. Some of the videos in this series which do not specifically feature Katie Irani will shed light on some aspect of Meher Baba's ministry in which Katie was involved. Examples include Meher Baba's New Life presented here as a 3 part mini series (videos #11, #12, #13 in the series). Also perspectives and contributions of other mandali members throughout the entire series of Katie's anecdotes are used to provide a broader picture of the incidents and shed light upon how Meher Baba works (Ex: #4 video in which Eruch describes the pontoon bridge incident from the perspective of the driver, while Katie is a passenger).
Copyright © 2011 by Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust, Ahmednagar, India. All quotes of Meher Baba copyright Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust unless otherwise indicated. All photos used by permission of Meher Nazar Publications and the Mani S. Irani (MSI) collection and private collections. All rights reserved to the copyright holder.
This third video (subpart 3 of 3) gives Katie Irani’s experience of Meher Baba’s New Life. Katie first joined Meher Baba’s ashram in Meherabad in 1938. In 1949, Meher Baba made the shocking announcement that the ashram would be closed and its residents scattered to the winds, each with the individual choice to remain under His strict orders indefinitely in His absence. The personal shock of this announcement and its remarkable aftermath is vividly described by Katie in a talk given in 1991: how Baba seemed to have foretold what would happen to her in a sequence of fortuitous circumstances, and how she struggled throughout to live the New Life, to be in the world but not of it, obeying His orders till the end. Katie remained in Mumbai for 28 years, working for the Japanese Consulate for 27 years. By Beloved Baba's order, upon her retirement she rejoined the mandali living in Meherazad.
This second video (subpart 2 of 3) offers perspectives about Meher Baba's New Life from Bhau Kalchuri, Eruch Jessawala, and Mani Irani. The experiences of Meher Baba's New Life "yeswallas" who agreed to the New Life conditions, but were unable for various reasons to accompany Baba physically, are here depicted in some poignant incidents involving mandali members. Bhau Kalchuri describes the difficulties of Chhagan Master and Khorshed Irani. Eruch Jessawala tells an amazing story of Baba's early use of the term "New Life" during the 1930's and Baba's sister Mani Irani tells of the profound impact of the New Life upon herself. The next video (#13, subpart 3 of 3), Baba willing, will describe Katie Irani's experience of the New Life.
In October 1949 Meher Baba started His New Life of emancipation through renunciation of falsity. Closing down the Meherabad Ashram, sending more than 90% of His mandali members to various places around the world, selecting only 20 companions to accompany Him during the New Life work. According to Mani Irani, the impact of the New Life upon His mandali members who were sent back into the world was no less than its effect upon the companions during that phase of His work. In this video (New Life subpart 1 of 3), Meherwan Jessawala vividly recounts the experience of himself and his immediate family members who were requested by Baba to continue to live in Pune under strict orders in His absence during the New Life.
Click a link to view the videos in that section.
