CHAPTER IS
AGASTYASHRAM -MANGALORE -
ERNAKULAM
(i) Ten days' Fast
With Ramdas tie land mothers motored to their house,
a fine little bungalow. He remained for half an hour in
the house. Ram bid Mm slip away from the place. He
rapidly legged* it towards Malleshwaram. His idea was to
go to Bhavanishan&errao whom he had occasion to meet
at Eomdapur, the previous year. Ramdas reached
Malleshwaram, an extension of the Bangalore City, studded
with hundreds of newly built, neat houses. Xow which
was Bhavanishankerrao's house? He had never visited the
place before. Ram must guide him, and He did.
After passing through a network of side-streets he
came unconsciously to the very street in which
Bhavanishankerrao lived. Again a few yards from his
house on the road, he met Bhavanishankerrao's father who
guided him to the house. Bhavanishankerrao and other
inmates of the house hailed him with unfeigned joy.
Here he met again Sitabai—now the widowed wife of
the late Dr. Umanathrao at Kundapur. Over a year ago
Umaiiathrao had slmfHed off his mortal coil. Sitabafs
devotion and renunciation were remarkable. In the house
there was regular devotional music in the evenings, and
reading of Ramayan in the afternoons. Bhavanishankerrao
and his sister Sitabai took prominent part in them. Now
Ramdas1 diet had changed to milk and fruit. He stopped
with these kind and devout people for four days. He felt a
distinct call from Eirimanjeshwar, beyond Kundapur,
which also goes by the name of Agastyamuni Ashram.
On the fifth day, by the night train, Ramdas started
from Bangalore and arrived atKasaragod the next evening.
Here he availed himself of the darshan of his G-urudev and