Katie Irani

feature3

Avatar Meher Baba's dearest Katie Irani flew into her Beloved's arms on 29/05/09 at 0410. She passed away from heart failure in Meherazad; she was 89 years old. The cremation will be at 17:30 this afternoon 29/05/09 at Meherabad.
Katie's ashes will be interred by the east side of His Samadhi on Meherabad Hill. Born to a family of close Baba followers in Quetta, (India) Katie and her older sister Goher fell in love with Meher Baba as small children. From the time she joined Him on the Blue Bus tours in 1937, Baba gave Katie plenty of scope for her talents. She made Him laugh in funny skits and with amusing stories, entertained Him with her rich and beautiful singing, cooked for His women's ashram. Even after Baba sent her to stay in Bombay to live with Arnavaz and Nariman dadachanji at the start of the New Life, she lived under His direct orders always -- and did so till the end of her life. Katie worked at the Japanese Embassy in Bombay for 28 years and during this time she often visited Baba and the women mandali in Meherazad and at Gurupreasad, Pune where she would regale Baba with the most recent comical events from her life in which the starring role always fell to her. In 1978 when Goher opened the new building for Meher Free Dispensary, she called Katie to stay at Meherazad permanently to assist her in the clinic. And eventually Katie helped in Baba's kitchen -- a job which she diligently performed despite her failing health till the very end.
Katie's vivacious and outgoing personality, wonderful sense of humour(showcased in her hilarious ashram stories), sharing her delicious recipes both personally and through her book, COOKING WITH KATIE, and heart-stirring singing of Baba's Name and songs have delighted generations of pilgrims at Meherazad ever since. We, her Meherazad family, salute our dear Katie's total dedication to her Beloved Avatar, and her untiring service to Him and His close ones.
AVATAR MEHER BABA KI JAI !!!
Meherazad family

A special Avatar Meher Baba Birthday Gift from Katie Irani

Katie was born in 1920 in Ahmednagar into a Baba family and has been under Baba's vigilance since she met Meher Baba in 1923 when she was 3 years old. Baba took great interest in her family, in all the children and always enquired who was studying where and what. She joined Meher Baba's Blue Bus Tours in India on the 9th Dec 1938 when she was 18 years old, and has travelled with Baba all over India. The Blue Bus Tours were specifically for doing His Mast work from 1938 into Dec 1941.

 
 

Vignettes of Katie's Life with Baba Part 1

Dim lights

 

Vignettes of Katie's Life with Baba Part 2

Dim lights

 

Vignettes of Katie's Life with Baba Part 3

Dim lights

 

During the tours, whenever Baba settled for short periods of time in Meherabad, Baba assigned Katie to cook in the kitchen for all the mandali beginning in 1939. After living with Him continuously for 11 years, Baba then announced His plans for the New Life. Baba took only a few women companions for the New Life, closing the women's ashram on the Hill on 15th October 1949. Katie was sent by Meher Baba to work in Bombay (Mumbai) where she became the personal secretary to the Japanese Consul General and served for 27 years. Meher Baba permitted Katie to spend all her leave holidays with Him and the Mandali in Guruprasad or Meherazad. After Katie retired from the Japanese Consulate General in Jan 1978 she came to live at Meherazad according to Baba's instructions. Katie worked with her sister Dr. Goher in the Meher Free Dispensary which Goher had opened for the poor and had served them til she passed away in 2004. Goher was Beloved Baba's personal physician and she took care of many of His medical needs. After Naja passed away Katie took over all of Naja's duties in Baba's Kitchen in Meherazad, which included cooking for all of His Mandali for many years, which she continues to do now, at the age of 89, working in the kitchen 7 days a week, and greeting pilgrims on Mehera's verandah several times per week.