During the early days of Shri Nathji’s association with Bhutt, Shri Nathji was invited by Bhutt to Raipur in 1937.
Word had spread that a renowned holy personality from the Punjab was coming to Central India and that he was revered as God.
The crowds that thronged to get a glimpse of Shri Nathji’s divine beauty were very large. Thousands of people came for Shri Nathji’s darshan and blessings, as the Bhutts had openly proclaimed before all that Shri Nathji was God Incarnate walking upon the earth.
A large building – a haveli- was kept as the venue for people to come and take a glimpse of Shri Nathji, who sat in a especially prepared room. The people came in long queues bringing flowers and coconuts with them till the entire room was filled.
All who beheld Shri Nathji felt themselves filled with divine bliss, as if their birth upon earth had found fulfillment – unkaa janam safal huaa. People were experiencing the presence of God, as never before in their lives.
Shri Nathji sat before them – looking more beautiful than an idol -moorti- of marble, a living idol that smiled with love and benevolence at each person and made him feel as if he were their nearest and dearest Loved One. No matter who came before Shri Nathji, he instinctively felt as if Shri Nathji existed only for him. And this had to be so, because God existed within the heart of every person in the world. Only those who had pure hearts were fortunate enough to recognise him when he came before them in human form as well.
During those days many held the belief at Raipur that Shri Nathji was Lord Krishna, and this belief was re-enforced by Gangabai Bhutt. Years afterwards many people who had even had one single glimpse of Shri Nathji were to remember that divine vision– that Glorious Face of love and compassion, which had become etched upon their hearts and souls forever.
Here were thousands getting just one glimpse of Shri Nathji and considering their lives to have been made blessed. How fortunate were those who had come into personal contact with Shri Nathji and were granted the chance of serving him and being with him for long periods of time. This was something that could occur only if God came down upon earth. For the rest there was just the endless wait for God in a heaven to come.
Shri Uma Charan Shukla of the erstwhile Shukla family of Raipur had become greatly devoted to Shri Nathji, as had his father, Shri Ravi Shanker Shukla and his wife. Shri Nathji would ever afterwards recall how Shri Uma Charan Shukla held on to the ropes strung along the route to control the crowds who thronged for Shri Nathji’s darshan at that time. Shri Nathji kept this unique sewa of Shri Uma Charan Shukla in his heart for many years to come.
Shri Ravi Shanker Shukla’s wife came with great faith before Shri Nathji and he gave her a flower as prasaad. The flower dropped to the ground from her hands. When others tried to secure it for her she said:
Let me search for it myself! I wish to secure all the blessings for myself and not have anyone else share them with me!
Such was the faith of the lady that she retained it till the last moments of her life.
Shri Bhutt and his wife Gangabai Bhutt were enthralled at the impact of Shri Nathji’s personality on the general populace. He was everything that the Bhutt’s had told the public that he was. The Bhutts had no hesitation in openly declaring Shri Nathji to be God upon earth.