Engaged while still a child to a local girl, Jashodaben Narendrabhai Modi, Modi rejected the

arranged marriage at the same time he graduated from high school.[34] The resulting familial tensions
contributed to his decision to leave home in 1967. [35] He spent the ensuing two years travelling across
northern and north-eastern India, though few details of where he went have emerged. [36] In
interviews, Modi has described visiting Hindu ashrams founded by Swami Vivekananda: the Belur
Math near Kolkata, followed by the Advaita Ashrama in Almora and the Ramakrishnamission
in Rajkot. He remained only a short time at each, since he lacked the required college education. [37][38]
[39]
Reaching the Belur Math in the early summer of 1968 and being turned away, Modi wandered
through Calcutta, West Bengal and Assam, stopping by Siliguri and Guwahati. [40] He then went to the
Ramakrishna ashram in Almora, where he was again rejected, before travelling back to Gujarat via
Delhi and Rajasthan in 1968-69.[41] Sometime in late 1969 or early 1970, Modi returned to Vadnagar
for a brief visit before leaving again for Ahmedabad.[42] There he lived with his uncle, working in the
latter's canteen at the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation.[43][44] In Ahmedabad Modi renewed
his acquaintance with Inamdar, who was based at Hedgewar Bhavan (RSS headquarters) in the city.
[30][31][45]
After the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, he stopped working for his uncle and became a fulltime pracharak (campaigner) for the RSS.[44] In 1978 Modi became an RSS sambhaag
pracharak (regional organiser), and received a degree in political science after a distanceeducation course from Delhi University.[46][47] Five years later, he received a Master of Arts degree in
political science from Gujarat University.[25][48]