Digital Documents Website

The Avatar’s Abode Trust Digital Archives website is a publicly accessible site which is linked to the database in which documents from the estate of mandali member Francis Brabazon, are being catalogued. It includes correspondence between Francis and Meher Baba and with other members of the mandali, talks, manuscripts, poems, ghazals, songs and working drafts by him. Some documents have been transcribed and are shown alongside the original in a searchable PDF format.

Photographs

The Avatar’s Abode Photographic Collection includes thousands of photographs which are part of the Avatar’s Abode Trust Archives Collection. The photographs have been extensively catalogued and the photographic website on which they are displayed is searchable by keyword https://avatarsabodecollection.zenfolio.com/

The collection includes photographs of the development of Avatar’s Abode and Baba’s visit to the Abode in 1958, anniversaries celebrated during the 1960s, early Australian Baba lovers, and images collected by Francis Brabazon during his stay in India with Baba from 1959 to 1969.

The Archives

In 1996 the mandali made the following comments about the importance of Baba’s articles and archives:

When His close mandali and family are no more, these treasures will be the tangible connection to His physical Advent. In days to come the world will awaken to the fact of His Advent and will be hungry for anything and everything personally associated with Him. — Mani S. Irani

His things are the tangible things that keep His presence alive in our hearts by helping us remember Him. Every little thing keeps His Presence fresh in our hearts. These little things make the Unapproachable approachable. — Eruch Jessawala

If we do not preserve things associated with His Advent, posterity will blame us and we will be failing in our duty towards Him. — Bhau Kalchuri, Preserving the Fragrance at Manzil-e-Meher, p.2

From time to time Baba gave such indications of the enduring value which would emanate from his personal belongings and from the vast written record which accumulated during his lifetime. The importance of caring for and sharing these tangible links with all who seek to learn about Meher Baba, was instilled in his close disciples. Today the Avatar’s Abode Trust Archives continues the twin tasks of preserving and sharing the precious items and records associated with Him and His visits to Australia in 1956 and 1958.