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Rajchandra's Interaction with Gandhi
Upon his return from England in 1891 after finishing the degree in law, Gandhi met Rajchandra for the first time in Bombay. Rajchandra was twenty three and Gandhi was twenty two years old then.33 Gandhi narrated that the ship from England arrived late in the night (on 6 July 1891) and Gandhi's elder brother had come to receive him at the dock in the Bombay. Since it was late hour, Dr. Pranjivan Mehta, a family friend, suggested that Gandhi and his brother should stay with him for the night at his residence (now, the Bombay Gandhi museum, Manibhavan). It was there that Rajchandra was introduced to Gandhi with the remarks that he was a poet, a Shatavadhani (one who can recite hundred words after listening for the first time), a partner in the family jewellery business, a wise man of spiritual knowledge, one who could attend to numerous tasks simultaneously, and who had a remarkable memory.
While living in Bombay Gandhi used to visit Rajchandra frequently at his place of business and at home. Gandhi noticed that young people showered upon Rajchandra considerable respect and reverence. Amidst his business and at home Rajchandra stayed calm and conducted work and home life in the spirit of detachment and without the least of agitation. In his spare time he was busy reading scriptures, writing prose, poetry, songs and spiritual comments in his diary,34 or simply meditating on matters of spiritual importance. Gandhi mentioned that there was no business or other selfish tie that bound him to Rajchandra and yet he enjoyed the closest association with him and found his talks of absorbing interest. Gandhi was convinced that Rajchandra would confide in him his innermost thoughts and would never willingly lead him astray."
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Rajchandra could converse with Gandhi with ease on matters pertaining to religion and philosophy. Initially the relation
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