The wanderings of great personalities have been of special significance in the task of regeneration of our motherland. The historical wanderings of Buddha, Mahavir and Shankaracharya bear readth of India, from the Himalayas to Cape Comorin, mixing with saints and scholars and simple souls alike, learning from all, teaching to all, and living with all, seeing India as she was and is, and so grasping in its comprehensiveness that vast whole of which his Master's life and personality had been a brief and intense epitome.."

After the mahasamadhi of Shri Ramakrishna in 1886, Swami Vivekananda and his brother - disciples took Sannyasa and stayed in Baranagore monastery while going for pilgrimages occasionally. The historic wandering of Swami Vivekananda, however, started when he started from Calcutta in July 1890 after taking blessing from the Holy Mother Shri Sarada Devi with a firm determination of not returning till he acquired such realization that his very touch would transform a man, Indeed, he did not return to Calcutta until February , when he had become a world - conquering hero. From July 1890 to May 1893, when he sailed for USA, he wandered throughout the country. This period played an important part in transforming his personality and preparing him for the task of regeneration of the nation and the world. And of this period the maximum duration (and very important too) was spent in Gujarat. After taking leave of Maharaja of Khetri and passing through Ajmer, Swami Vivekananda proceeded towards what was then the Bombay Presidency (Now in Gujarat and Maharashtra). From Nov 1891 when he entered Ahmedabad to 26th April 1892 when he left Baroda for Bombay, he wandered throughout Gujarat - mostly in the peninsula of Kathiawar which was a division of Bombay Presidency comprising 188 states (The pre-independent India comprised about 800 states) with its headquarters at Rajkot. Even the later period of May to September 1892 was also mostly spent by Swamiji with Gujarati hosts- with Thakore Saheb of Limbdi at Mahabaleswar and Poona and with Ramdas Chhabildas at Bombay.

According to the earliest biographers of Swami Vivekananda, this period of his wandering in Gujarat had been very fruitful and significant when his whole outlook had been oriented. "It was as though all India were pressing its life through the channels of his personality. He passed through terrible commotion. It might have been at Porbandar that this spirit took birth".2 It was during the wanderings in Gujarat (in Porbandar) that he came to realize that he had a mission to perform. He told Maharaja of Porbandar and his friends : "I have a MISSION to perform ! But I cannot clearly see at present how I shall begin or where it is to be !"3 He told his brother - disciple Swami Trigunatitananda at Porbandar : "Sarada, I am beginning to understand to some extent, now what the Master has said of me. Really there is so much power in me, I feel as though I could revolutionise the world!"4 It was during his wanderings in Gujarat (in the cell of Sharada Math, Dwaraka) that 'he perceived a great light, as it were - and that was the bright future of India."5 It was during his wanderings in Gujarat while visiting the ancient temple of Sati Ranak Devi that he came to realize the sacredness of the marriage relationship as idealized in the Hindu Shastras. It was during his wanderings in Gujarat, while visiting historic Jain temples of Palitana that 'he saw India as one Huge Temple, as it were with chapels and sanctuaries everywhere. He saw the glory of Mahabharat."6 It was in Gujarat while looking at the ruins of the magnificent temple of Somnath which was destroyed and rebuilt several times that Swamiji came the glory of India's past. It was in Gujarat that Swamiji for the first time received inspiration for going to West to preach Sanatana Dharma (from Thakore Saheb of Limbdi).7 It was in Gujarat that Swamiji, for the first time, heard of the great religious convention that was to be held sometime in the following year.8 It was in Gujarat while deeply studying the Vedas with Shankar Pandurang Pandit that Swamiji came to appreciate the glory of Sanatana Dharma and the need to preach it to the whole world and became convinced that "India was truly the Master of Religions, the fountain-head of spiritually and the cradle of civilization."9 Here in Gujarat, not only his mental outlook but even his physical look got transformed. His brother-disciple Swami Akhandananda wrote in his memoirs: "I at last reached Mandvi .. I saw that Swamiji had undergone a great change in his appearance. His beauty illumined the whole room."10 Here in Gujarat, Swamiji got a new life as if were after being rescued by Thakore Saheb of Limbdi from the clutches of dangerous Sadhus.

In Gujarat Swamiji came in contact with some of the most prominent princes, Diwans, scholars and eminent personalities of his time. Thakore Saheb of Limbdi Shri Yashwantsinhji, Maharaja of Bhavanagar Shri Takhtsinhji, Maharaja of Bhuj Shri Khengarji (III), Maharaja of Porbandar Shri Vikamatji, Maharaja Gaekwad Shri Sayaji Rao, Diwan of Junagadh Shri Haridas Viharidas Desai, Administrator of Porbandar Shri Shankar Pandurang Pandit, Diwan of Kutch Shri Motichand Lalchand, Diwan of Baroda Shri Manilal Jashbhai, the great Gujarati Scholars Shri Mansukhram Tripathi and Shri Manibhai N. Dwivedi, the great philanthropist Sub-judge Shri Lalshankar Umiashankar Trivedi, all of them became great friends and admirers of Swamiji and some of them became even his disciples. In Gujarat (at Junagadh) Swamiji also met Shri Jhandu Bhatt of Jamnagar about whom he said: "I had been to many places and have seen many beautiful persons, but nowhere have I seen a generous man like Jhandu Bhatt Vithalji."

It was in Gujarat while travelling through the desert of Kutch that Swamiji had a wonderful experience, he saw a mirage. In his lecture delivered in New York entitled 'The Real and the Apparent Man' Swamiji gave a description of the phenomenon and drew a very important moral from it.

In Gujarat Swamiji discussed with the princes and Diwans not only philosophy and religion but also various important economic and political problems for the welfare of the States. He gave them practical advice; even sometimes to the extent of drafting letters of diplomatic nature.13 For the first time Swamiji came to the notice of intelligence department while he was wandering in Gujarat.14 Although he had nothing to do with politics, his association with the Princess and Diwans did create a significant stir.

It would be, therefore, interesting to know the details of the wanderings of Swamiji in Gujarat.