H.P.B. and Col. Olcott arrived in Madras on December 19, 1882. A few days after their
arrival, on a Sunday morning, Madame Blavatsky was unpacking, assisted by "the
boys" - Damodar K. Mavalankar, Narasimhulu and Subbiah Chetty, and Krishnaswami,
known as "Bhavaji." Among the articles were found two portraits; and Narasimhulu
and Subbiah were examining them intently, as they recognised in one of them a saddhu they
had seen some years before. Noticing them handling the pictures, H.P.B. pounced upon them
and forbade it, saying they were pictures of the Masters. The two brothers said they had
seen the person portrayed in one of them. H.P.B. declared this could not be true; but a
fortnight later she was told that they had indeed seen the Master M. in 1874; that He had
visited the city of Madras in His physical body; and that they were two of the four
persons who had seen Him then. She asked them to describe the visit.
They said that early one morning a saddhu entered their home unannounced. A strikingly
tall man, clothed in a long white dress and white pagri, with black hair falling on His
shoulders, and black beard, stood within the door. Of the three persons present one left
the room, and the other two - Narasimhulu and Subbiah -- drew near to him. He made certain
signs which the brothers did not understand, but remembered vividly. He asked for one
pice; and when they went to the money-box they found it contained exactly one pice, which
they gave to Him. He turned and left the house, followed by the two brothers, and suddenly
disappeared, to their great astonishment. They could find no trace of Him in the street.
It was this sudden and mysterious disappearance that impressed the visit so deeply upon
them that they always remembered it in detail.
H.P.B. added the information that He was on His way to Rameshvaram, one of the great
places of pilgrimage in India.
G. SUBBIAH CHETTY
Editor's Note: This is a hitherto unpublished incident.