AN 150-YEAR-OLD heritage bungalow in Vadodara will soon woo visitors as a memorial of 20th century spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda.
The Dilaram Bungalow, which was shut down for renovation since the last six months, will be thrown open to public next week after it is re-christened as the Swami Vivekananda memorial.
This will be the third memorial of Vivekananda in Gujarat. The two others are in Porbander and Surendranagar.
The new memorial will be inaugurated on Tuesday (October 28) by Swami Vagishannandji, Vice President of the Ramkrishna Math and Mission.
Vivekananda had stayed in this heritage bungalow from April 24-26 in 1892 on his visit to the princely state of Baroda.
According to Swami Nikhileswarananda, Secretary, Ram Krishna Mission, a sum of Rs one crore has been spent on the renovation of the bungalow which was once residence to Manilal J, the Dewan of erstwhile princely Gaekwadi State of Baroda.
Swami Vivekananda had extensively travelled the Indian subcontinent as well as the country as a 'Parivrajaka' (wandering monk) for about three years, out of which perhaps the longest period was spent in Gujarat.
After visiting Ahmedabad, Limbdi, Junagadh, Dwarka, Somnath, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Bhuj, Narayan Sarovar, Bhavnagar, Palitana, Nadiad and other places, he finally came to Vadodara (then known as Baroda) in April 1892 and stayed as a guest of the Dewan who was then staying in the bungalow.
