Said to be built in 1863, the Dilaram Bungalow was the residence of Diwan Manibhai Mehta. Currently housing the Ram-Krishna Mission Memorial, the bungalow was gifted to the Mission on account of it’s past association with Swami Vivekananda.
For a while the bungalow was given to Government Officers & Forest Officers to stay and it was only in 2005, that the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi handed this Bungalow to Ram-Krishna Mission.
Tour of Gujarat and stay at Baroda :
Before going to USA to participate in the Chicago Parliament of Religions, Swami Vivekananda traveled all over India as a Parivrajaka for about three years, out of which perhaps the longest period was spent in Gujarat. During his tour he visited Ahmedabad, Limbdi, Junagadh, Dwarka, Somnath, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Bhuj, Narayan Sarovar, Bhavnagar, Palitana, Nadiad and other places.
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. For the first time Swamiji came to the notice of intelligence department while he was wandering in Gujarat.
He finally came to Vadodara on 24th April 1892. For the next two days he stayed as a guest of Shri Manilal Mehta, the Diwan of Vadodara who was then staying in Dilaram Bungalow. During his stay at Vadodara, Swami Vivekananda spent some time with Shri Manilal Mehta, Dewan of Vadodara in discussing about the educational system of the state. He also saw the library and the pictures by Ravi Varma in the Lukshmi Vilas Palace and then left for Mumbai, probably on 26th April 1892.
Curiously enough, Swamiji’s did not met with Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. Swamiji had told Prince Martand Varma at Trivandrum that of all the ruling princes he had met, he had been most impressed with the capacity, patriotism, energy and foresight of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda. Swamiji was also perhaps impressed with the Maharani Chimnabai II of Baroda because he wrote on 17th February 1901 to Miss Macleod from Belur Math, “I hope you will go to Baroda and see the Maharani”. In all probability, Swamiji met him while he was in Mahabalweshwar or Poona. After his return from the West, Swamiji wanted to visit Vadodara and meet the Maharaja but it did not materialize.
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The building was renovated in 2015 and still continues to maintain it’s relation with Swami Vivekananda, housing the Rama-Krishna Mission Vivekananda Memorial. It continues to work on many educational, medical and welfare activities keeping in view the message of Swamiji of worshipping the divine in human beings.
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