It was from Chandrapur, that a certain Vallabh Bhai Manik had travelled all the way to Lahore in 1945, and had been bestowed with the inner vision of Shri Nathji’s Divine Form.
While in Lahore, he had a most unusual experience. He was staying at the residence of Shri Nathji. One afternoon, Shri Nathji left his house and went out in a tonga. Vallabh Bhai and other devotees saw Shri Nathji off to the tonga. He told them he would return shortly.
Alone in the house, Vallabh Bhai suddenly saw Shri Nathji coming out of one of the rooms. He came to Vallabh Bhai, smiled and placed his hand upon his back, even as Vallabh Bhai prostrated before him. Seconds later, Shri Nathji had gone inside.
Vallabh Bhai assumed that Shri Nathji had returned from his trip outside. After some time, Shri Nathji came out of another room and approached Vallabh Bhai a second time. He placed his hands on Vallabh Bhai’s back again and blessed him, going inside immediately afterwards.
Later in the day, Mrs.Gangabai Bhutt met Vallabh Bhai at the house.
Shri Nathji is inside, said Vallabh Bhai, he came out to bless me twice.
Inside! said an astonished Mrs. Bhutt, but I just saw him in a tonga in the bazaar!
Just then, Shri Nathji arrived in the tonga. Stepping down from it, he smiled at Vallabh Bhai and said: Vallabh Bhaiji, I was with you all the time, even when I was away!
Vallabh Bhai carried away a lasting faith and devotion in Shri Nathji, which remained with him for over thirty years. Once he said:
Nathji! Bhagwan! I pray thee to grant me suffering, so that I might think of you all the more!
His son, Ashok Manik, a Law Graduate, acquired the devotion of his father, and saw the Divine Being in Shri Nathji. He would keep all the portraits of Shri Nathji his father had collected and worship them.
When the hot summer months arrived, he purchased an electric fan to keep the portraits cool. It took his entire salary to purchase the fan, but he did it so that Shri Nathji may not feel the heat.
The year was 1978, and Shri Nathji was in Akola at the time. While Ashok Manik fanned Shri Nathji’s portrait in Chandrapur, Shri Nathji received the coolness of the breeze in Akola, two hundred miles away! God always accepted the offering of his devotees, no matters in what form it was offered.