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The thirteen family members stayed on the second floor. No one occupied the first floor which housed the handlooms and weaving equipment. Without warning, in the small hours of the morning, there was a blazing fire. Gurudev's father was the first to hear shouts of "Fire! Fire!" The first floor was already engulfed by flames. The second floor was being threatened. The only two men in the family became panicky and rushed up to the third floor ahead of the women and children, battered down the door of the monks' room, forcing it open. This was the only room with a small balcony, the only avenue of escape.
Below the balcony was the tent which had been set up that afternoon for the talk. It could have been used to support all of them if each one jumped carefully and lightly onto it from the balcony. But the two men were in such a fright that they leapt hurriedly over the railing, ripping the canvas as they landed on it. It could not be used in rescuing the nine women and two children who remained trapped within, along with Gurudev and his frail old father.
The staircase was now burning. The women and children came rushing up to Gurudev's room. Huge tongues of fire were spreading rapidly. All were shouting loudly. Outside some people from the cinema across the street set up a ladder under the balcony, but it fell short of reaching it by five or six feet. Gurudev looked intently at the women, children, and his father.
We will all be consumed. There is no way out but to jump, but to jump is to invite death.
All of a sudden, his energy mobilized and he knew just what to do. There was no time to lose. Though munis were not supposed to touch women, immediately he began lifting each woman and child over the balcony railing, lowering them down one by one until each could get a secure footing on the ladder and continue down on her own. He had to hold them wrist to wrist with one arm, while the other arm was used to brace himself and hold onto the balcony. Regardless of how heavy or light in weight (and there was one who was more than double his weight), he held each one with all his strength as she dangled down searching with her feet for the support of
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