This Article First Appeared In The Print On September 05, 2023
Haridas Viharidas Desai, Dewan of the former princely state of Junagadh from 1883 to 1894, was a great administrator. However, history remembers him for the “fatherly kindness and care” he displayed for Hindu monk, philosopher, and author Swami Vivekananda.
Born in Central Gujarat’s Nadiad in 1840, Haridas was the son of Rao Bahadur Viharidas Ajubhai. Rao Bahadur was a great advocate of literacy and a patron of educational activities. Haridas studied English literature in Ahmedabad and became the municipal commissioner of Nadiad around 1862-63. (The Gujarat Portrait Gallery, Keshavlal Harivithaldas, Bombay, 1889, pages 1-4)