Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the former President of India was overwhelmed while visiting the historic Dilaram Bungalow (sanctified by the stay of Swami Vivekananda in 1892), on 30th March.

He was happy to see the newly constructed Show Room containing huge collection of books & CDs related to Yoga, Meditation, Value Education, Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Vedanta literature etc. He stood for a few minutes in awful silence in the Meditation Hall and showed great interest in seeing exhibitions on Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda, Public Library and other activities of Ramakrishna Mission started in Vadodara. He showed great enthusiasm in greeting the children and other admirers assembled in the premises. He discussed with inmates of the centre about the nation building ideas of Swami Vivekananda. During the discussions, he said that he was greatly influenced by the powerful message of Swami Vivekananda and read out the following message of Swami Vivekananda quoted by him in the book- “Voice without Form”, “My name should not be made prominent. It is my ideas that I want to be realised.”

Swami Nikhileswaranandaji, the Head of the centre presented him a photograph and books of Swami Vivekananda as well as the books written by him including the book containing sweet memoirs related to his earlier meetings with him at Porbandar and at Rastrapati Bhavan. Dr. Kalam in turn presented his books with his autograph.

Before his departure, Dr. Kalam was requested to come again to Vadodara to address about 5000 students of about 100 educational institutions when a Youth Convention will be organized by Ramakrishna Mission at Vadodara in the lines of the Youth Convention organized at Porbandar on 12th January 2006.