St.Andrews was the abode of Shri Nathji in Mussoorie from 1947 onwards. It was here that he and Mateshwari had begun to live with their sons.
After marriage, Shri Nathji’s spiritual radiance had taken on a new lustre. More people than ever before had come to accept him as the avatar. Even those who considered him to be a great enlightened soul were greatly drawn to him after his marriage. Being a married man with a family, he could better understand the problems of his fellow brethren on earth.
Mateshwari once said: Each and every moment of Shri Nathji’s life is proof of his godliness. No one could act God each and every moment of his life over such a long period of time. No acting could be that perfect!–Which is why it must be a reality!
Devotees often brought their prayers to Mateshwari and asked her to recommend them to Shri Nathji. Hers was the delicate heart of a mother.
In the years past, Nawab Istafa Khan used to say: Divine Mother! We ask only this of you – remember us to Shri Nathji off and on, so that we remain in his thoughts! Hamaari yaad dilaa diyaa karen!”
St. Andrews was flanked on both sides by royalty.
On the left and East side of the house was Sarila Lodge, the boundary of which touched the boundary of St. Andrews.
Shri Nathji’s neighbour on this side was Maharaja Mahipal Singh of Sarila, who was often known as “Maharaja Sarila”. Sarila was a small princely state in Northern India in the regions of Bundelkhund and many a Rajput stalwart came from there.
The Maharaja had received the honorific title of “His Highness” from the British rulers, and was a very wise man. He had even been invited to attend the famous Round Table Conference in England during the days of Gandhi. Unlike many Maharajas of his time, he was an intellectual of the first order. He had been an agnostic before he met Shri Nathji.
The slope that led upwards from the Mall Road to St. Andrews passed alongside Sarila Lodge in the way. It was on that common slope that the tall gaunt Maharaja met Shri Nathji for the first time. At first he thought that Shri Nathji was also a Maharaja, judging from his appearance and majestic bearing.
However, as he came to know Shri Nathji better, his respect for Shri Nathji turned into reverence and from reverence into love and worship.
He experienced so great a divine love in the personality of Shri Nathji that he would be drawn to him again and again and would listen to his words in rapt attention.
He found the shades of agnosticism disappearing from within him. In the past he had often said: “God is a myth,” but after meeting Shri Nathji he began to experience the living presence of God in Shri Nathji.
The peace and happiness that he derived from Shri Nathji was greater than anything he had ever experienced before in his life. He would call Shri Nathji, “Swamiji”, with reverence, as he was far too respectful to refer to Shri Nathji by name. Indeed this was the title that many used for Shri Nathji. Only those who were very close to him called him “Nathji”.
He, along with his Maharani, began to have great faith in Shri Nathji and Mateshwari. They would visit Shri Nathji at St. Andrews and sit in the verandah for long hours just listening to Shri Nathji’s words, which would gush forth in a divine flow that bathed their hearts and souls. His entire family began to have great faith in Shri Nathji and they would place all their troubles before him and find instant relief. Swamiji, Maharaja Sarila would say to Shri Nathji, you are an ocean! Aap to Samundar hain!
He was proud of the fact that he was Shri Nathji’s neighbour. When people would ask him: “Does Shri Nathji live next door to you?–Kyaa Shri Nathji aapke parros men raihte hain?”
He would reply: “No, I live next door to Shri Nathji!–Naheen. Ham Shri Nathji ke parros men raihte hain!”
His Maharani would often say to Mateshwari:
What do you give Shri Nathji to eat so that he always has such a radiant glow about his face and is in such blooming health?
Shri Nathji’s food was the Divine Love he gave to the world.
We are Rajputs, said Maharaja Sarila to Shri Nathji one day, and we have caught your hand! Do not desert us in the world to come, or it will be a gross injustice! Hamne Rajput hokar aapkaa haath pakraa hai. Kaheen aage na chhorr denaa, varna dhokaa ho jaayegaa!”
Shri Nathji replied, If I were not to be with you in the next world, I would not have held your hand here!”
Over the years, Maharaja Sarila would travel large distances to be present on Shri Nathji’s birthday on June 23, at St. Andrews Mussoorie.
There would be the touching scene at the end of the function when Shri Nathji would invariably put a laddoo in the mouth of his neighbour, Maharaja Sarila.
There was even one occasion when he rushed back from Naini Tal to be present for the concluding part of the function at Mussoorie on the 23rd of June, so that he could partake of the laddoo which Shri Nathji put in his mouth.