Meherabad is a spiritual retreat located in Arangaon village, some 9km from Ahmednagar in Maharashtra. This is where the Samadhi Mandir of the Indian spiritual master, Meher Baba, is located. Over the years, it has become a serene pilgrimage centre for those spiritually inclined to come here over and over again.
The experience at Meherabad reminded me of the peace that comes from such retreats. The retreat provides simple, clean accommodations with vegetarian meals served in spotless dining halls. Interestingly, none of the rooms have attached bathrooms; instead, shared facilities are meticulously maintained.
While this might deter some city-dwellers, it didn’t bother me. It took me back to my time at the Bihar School of Yoga (BSY), where I stayed for a decade and got accustomed to shared living arrangements. Ironically, during the late 1990s, I had left behind my luxurious star house by the Mumbai sea—with three bathrooms all to myself—seeking simplicity and spiritual grounding.
Meditation has been an integral part of my life since 1990, the year after my blockbuster Aashiqui. Throughout my Bollywood career and international shoots, I continued my practice as a way to balance the highs and lows of fame. At Meher Pilgrim Retreat, the silence under the trees and the open sky felt deeply meditative, much like my strict gurukul training during my early years of yoga and monkhood, which encouraged a profound connection with nature.
“The first aarti is at 7am, and tea is served at 6am. You can visit the dining hall if you like,” the receptionist informed me upon my arrival. The quietness of the retreat was complemented by its library, where I found myself engrossed in literature about Meher Baba, a prolific poet and writer with a distinct philosophy. Through his writings, I learned about his mission of servitude—a value I resonate with deeply through my foundation, AAF.
I met devout followers from around the world, including many senior citizens who had known Meher Baba personally. Their stories of surrender and transformation were inspiring. An American visitor from Boston, Jim, shared with me, “I don’t know how Baba does it, but he does.” His words reminded me of the disciples at my yoga university nearly three decades ago, where I first sought solace from the pressures of stardom. That journey led to my spiritual awakening, which has been a guiding force ever since.
Now, after years of spiritual exploration, I find myself returning to the material world with a fresh perspective. I have begun listening to film scripts again, with a sense of purpose rooted in self-awareness. Life, as the Babas would say, is about discovering your mission—the reason you were born. Some take lifetimes to find it, while others live in illusion, wasting the precious opportunity of existence.
The sooner one wakes up to their divine purpose, the closer they come to enlightenment—what I call the ultimate liberation.
For me, it was heartening to see Meher Baba’s spiritual efforts align with those of other masters I have trained under. After all, as they say, all roads lead to Rome.
The writer is a model, actor, and author. She runs the Anu Aggarwal Foundation, which works towards bringing inner peace and better mental health.