After Shri Nathji had left Akola, Shri W. A. Sohni, in whose house Shri Nathji had stayed, worshipped the bed on which Shri Nathji had slept for exactly twelve years. It was a measure of his faith in Shri Nathji. It was a spontaneous gesture of worship. If the beds on which Rama and Krishna had slept were to be found, it would create a sensation in the country, and thousands would flock to worship them.
Shri Sohni’s letter to Shri Nathji, eleven years later, went as follows:
This is the eleventh year since you parted from us. Every year, we have celebrated December 29 as Aagman day – the day you arrived in Akola – and this is the eleventh occasion.
All devotees wish to experience your physical nearness on this occasion.
The greatest earning of this life is the darshan of Shri Nathji.
The happiness we derive from your darshan cannot be obtained from any object of the world.
We have obtained absolute contentment and fearlessness. This storehouse of wealth remains in our hearts. The picture of God remains within our souls in your image.
From the time we have met you, our lives have become meaningful. It has become easy to walk on the difficult path of devotion. The light of the relationship you gave us has saved us from stumbling in the darkness of the world. You have showered the rays of a Light Divine upon us. Our hearts have been filled with hope and encouragement, and gratitude.
We know how much you have had to suffer in human form for our sake. It is beyond our conception. You have made us–worthless pieces of wood–into beautiful statues.
We look back to the years before you met us. What were we before these past eleven years? The hunger and thirst that existed within us could not be satiated with the wealth of the world. We were stumbling in the dark. Time was slipping past, and there was no goal in sight.
On the 29th of December 1950, a new sun rose over Akola. Our Master arrived, who filled us with Divine Love and Faith. His light penetrated deep down within our souls. It is you – God Himself – who must safeguard the treasure you have placed within our souls.
The materialistic world around us is filled with the progress of science, but we do not find the happiness in the world increasing. On the contrary, with greater material progress, greater misery has come upon the life of man.
Only he can be truly happy in the world who has seen the Rays of Thy Light Divine. Experience has shown us this.
We refer to this day as Prabhu Aagman Din – the day the Lord came to Akola. And this is what we sincerely believe. Everything that comes into this world must leave the world at some time. But the coming of the Lord is an event that must stay forever.
In one of your letters you had written:
I lie not only upon that bed which you have been worshipping, but also within your hearts.’
Each and every word written by God must remain in the heart of his devotee like a powerful blessing.
On 29.12.1961, at seven-o-clock in the morning, the function shall begin. The programme will begin with our worshipful offerings to the Lord, readings from your writings, and end with the Amar Geet of Dr. Babtiwale, as sung by Dr. Purekar in Kirtan assembly. All the devotees shall greatly benefit from this Prem-aamrit the shower of thy nectar of Love Divine on us.
“We hope that you, Mateshwari, and Shri Pran Nathji and Shri Priya Nathji will be present with us on this occasion to pour this nectar with your own hands.
“Innumerable prostrations from all the Bhaktas of Akola, and from my family members,
The Dust of Thy Feet,
W.A. Sohni Advocate
Ramdaspeth
Akola
December 20, 1961”