Vivekananda’s Gujarati hosts encouraged him to go West

VADODARA: The seeds of travel by Swami Vivekananda to Parliament of World’s Religions (PWR) were sown in Gujarat. The man who introduced the West to Indian spirituality and philosophy like never before was travelling extensively in the state when a railway employee informed him about the parliament.
Swami Vivekananda had spent around eight months in the state and stayed with several scholars, royals, dewans and other senior officials.It was during his travel through Kathiawad that Swami Vivekananda received information regarding the PWR. During the visit, various dignitaries he interacted with also impressed upon Swami Vivekananda that he should travel abroad to spread his knowledge.
Secretary of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Memorial at Vadodara Swami Nikhileshwarananda, who has authored a book, ‘Vivekananda in Gujarat’, said Swami Vivekananda travelled in the state from September 1891 to April 1892. “The Thakore Saheb of Limdi Yashwantsinhji was impressed by Swami Vivekananda and spent quite some time with him. He was among the first persons in the state to inspire Swamiji to preach in the West,” Swami Nikhileshwarananda said.
Swami Nikhileshwarananda said subsequently Swami Vivekananda went to Junagadh where he expressed his wish to go abroad to Chhaganlal Pandya, the manager of the dewan, there. “It was during his travel from Junagadh to Porbandar that Swamiji learnt about the PWR. Hargovinddas Pandya, an assistant station master at Jetalsar railway station, mentioned about the event to him,” said Swami Nikhileshwarananda.
Swami Nikhileshwarananda, who recently presented his English edition of the book to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the author met him in New Delhi, said that even at Porbandar noted scholar Shankar Pandurang Pandit told Swami Vivekananda that the West would look for personalities like him. “He even insisted that Swamiji should learn French which would be of help if he visited the West,” said Swami Nikhileshwarananda. The author added that later at Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh Swami Vivekananda mentioned to a pleader Haridas Chattopadhyaya that he would go to the West if he had money.