At 2:31 a.m. on Friday, August 31st, Baba reclaimed his disciple Eruch. It was a day of sweet farewell for those privileged to be present at Meherabad and Meherazad. A full account of Eruch's departure from our midst is being prepared, but for now we want to briefly share with all of you something of the beauty of that day of celebration for Eruch.

In the first minutes and hours, the word got out quickly, both locally and abroad. It wasn't long before hundreds of Baba lovers and friends of Eruch knew that his long-awaited appointment had been met. A little later telegrams and email messages were sent to a list of contacts around the world (and to Tavern Talk), who in turn spread the message to others.

In those early morning hours, Eruch's body was placed on a stretcher and laid before Baba's chair in Mandali Hall. All the mandali and residents of Meherazad had their chance to say goodbye in the intimate atmosphere of home, in front of Baba's chair where Eruch and the other mandali had spent so many hours with Baba. Gradually lovers from Meherabad and Ahmednagar also came to Meherazad to pay their respects to the much-loved friend of our Lord. The atmosphere was calm and intimate, our emotions a mixture of awe at the incredible event of Eruch's union with Baba, the poignancy of personal memories of Eruch, reverence for the soul of such a man, joy for him, sorrow for ourselves, and many more - all of them imbued with Baba's wonderful Presence and Power.

At 9:30 a.m., after arti and prayers, Eruch's body was lifted on the stretcher and carried into Swanee, the white van, and driven to Meherabad, followed by a small procession of cars. In Ahmednagar, Swanee and the procession turned into Meher Nazar, right at the time the office would normally open, and Eruch was given one last turn through the Trust Compound, registering his final attendance at the place where he had spent so many working days over the years since Baba dropped His body. At Meherabad the procession first went up the hill, where Eruch was taken inside Baba's Samadhi and briefly placed at His feet. The Master’s Prayer and Beloved God Prayer were recited and the Gujarati arti was sung. Following this his body was placed on a raised platform on the Sabha Mandap, the shade structure opposite the Samadhi, so Baba lovers could come at this stage and pay their respects. A queue formed and people filed by, moved perhaps to touch his feet, bow their heads to him, or give him a last kiss.

After about an hour, he was taken again in Swanee to lower Meherabad and was kept there in the Main Bungalow Mandali Hall, in front of Baba's chair, for the rest of the day until the burial time. Now was the time for the arrival of more and more lovers, from Pune, Mumbai and other cities, even as far away as Hyderabad and Navsari. The crowd was full by late afternoon. Flowers adorned Eruch's reclining body, tokens of the love of many hearts. Eruch’s brother Meherwan had been at his side since morning, and as he now recalls, “I had a hard time convincing several people to keep cheerful as Eruch would want.”. Bhau sat near Eruch’s feet. Goher, Meheru, Katie, Aloba and Bal Natu arrived from Meherazad and sat near Eruch's body for some time. Song after song was offered by eastern and western Baba-singers and players.

At about 5:15 p.m. Eruch was carried in his coffin to the nearby burial site of the men mandali at lower Meherabad. Eruch’s grave there is next to other stalwarts of the men mandali, in fulfillment of Baba’s instructions. With the crowd of lovers pressing in from all sides, and amid choruses of Avatar Meher Baba ki Jai, the coffin was closed and decked with garlands, then lowered into the grave. Baba’s prayers were recited by the whole group and a last arti sung. The women mandali were given the first handfuls of earth to throw in, and the grave was filled in. Garlands of fresh flowers are kept there now on the mounded soil. (After some time, Eruch’s grave will be permanently covered, as has been done with the graves of the other men mandali buried at Meherabad).

We have received many messages of love and tribute to Eruch from Baba lovers from all corners of our world, and many more thoughts and prayers we know you all are sending. We are united in our remembrance of our elder brother Eruch and of Baba, through him.

Rick and Sheryl Chapman wrote the following in their message sent that morning, which may reflect what is felt by many Baba lovers:

“Just as the Avatar always has a Divine Counterpart, as Mehera was to Baba, so it is the Beloved's Wish to have one of His male disciples so closely identified with Him, despite the inimitable perfection of all the other disciples in His Circle. In the Age of Meher Baba, that disciple is Eruch, and he will be remembered as such for Advents to come.

“But Eruch's role in the Advent is one thing; meeting and knowing him was another. Could it be that being a true slave of The Friend makes one a true friend to all? Eruch opened the door of his heart to everyone who came for the Beloved, and few could resist the invitation to accept his friendship in the love of the Lord. For many, that friendship would become the touchstone of their relationship with Baba, a pole star in the universe of their learning to know and love the Divine Beloved.”