A small, gray shrine with a white dome stands in a dry, scrubby landscape under a blue sky, with a sepia-toned portrait of a man in the lower right corner.

Our mission Three miles north of the Mexican border, in the desert outside the Village of Columbus, New Mexico, there is a small domed shrine that one man built by hand. Earl Starcher was an air traffic controller. In 1965 he asked for leave to go to Meher Baba, was refused, and quit on the spot. He spent the next ten years with almost nothing. When he finally had money again, he spent it on a piece of high desert that reminded him of Meherabad, and he began building a replica of Baba&#39;s tomb. He sent a friend to India to bring back the exact measurements. He poured the dome himself, six tons of it. He set the dedication in English and in Spanish so his neighbors could read it too. He built it for the people who could not make the journey to India. He said that if he built it, they would come. Earl died in 1994, before he could finish. There is still no door. There are still no windows. The floor is still dirt. The Shrine of the Avatar for Meher Baba Inc. exists to finish what Earl started and to keep the shrine open to anyone who wants to sit there. The Village of Columbus has given us permission to restore the land and to open access to Baba&#39;s followers from anywhere in the world. How you can help <ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Give. Every dollar goes into materials and skilled hands: clearing the site, sealing the dome, plastering the walls, laying a floor, finishing the openings. Nothing fancy. Just whole.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Share. Most people have never heard of this place. Send it to someone who would want to know.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Volunteer. Hands, trades, time, a camera, a truck. Tell us what you have and we will find a use for it.</li></ul>

Hello <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip" fr-original-style="" style="color: rgb(42, 42, 196); overflow-wrap: anywhere; user-select: none; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255); border-radius: 4px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px 8px; font-size: 11px; display: inline-block; box-sizing: inherit;">First name, Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting the restoration of the Avatar Shrine. It has been laying dormant in the desert for many years, so we are excited to work with the community to restore it for the pilgrims in the west.&nbsp; If you would like to contribute further to our cause, contact us to become a volunteer, or spread the word about our project! The Shrine of the Avatar Teamcontact@theshrineoftheavatar.com

Our mission Three miles north of the Mexican border, in the desert outside the Village of Columbus, New Mexico, there is a small domed shrine that one man built by hand. Earl Starcher was an air traffic controller. In 1965 he asked for leave to go to Meher Baba, was refused, and quit on the spot. He spent the next ten years with almost nothing. When he finally had money again, he spent it on a piece of high desert that reminded him of Meherabad, and he began building a replica of Baba's tomb. He sent a friend to India to bring back the exact measurements. He poured the dome himself, six tons of it. He set the dedication in English and in Spanish so his neighbors could read it too. He built it for the people who could not make the journey to India. He said that if he built it, they would come. Earl died in 1994, before he could finish. There is still no door. There are still no windows. The floor is still dirt. The Shrine of the Avatar for Meher Baba Inc. exists to finish what Earl started and to keep the shrine open to anyone who wants to sit there. The Village of Columbus has given us permission to restore the land and to open access to Baba's followers from anywhere in the world. How you can help <ul><li>Give. Every dollar goes into materials and skilled hands: clearing the site, sealing the dome, plastering the walls, laying a floor, finishing the openings. Nothing fancy. Just whole.</li><li>Share. Most people have never heard of this place. Send it to someone who would want to know.</li><li>Volunteer. Hands, trades, time, a camera, a truck. Tell us what you have and we will find a use for it.</li></ul>

The Shrine of the Avatar for Meher Baba Inc.

The Shrine of the Avatar Restoration Project

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