Swami Vivekananda shared a special bond with Raja Ajit Singh Bahadur, who reigned over the princely state of Khetri, Rajasthan, from 1870 to 1901. Swamiji visited Khetri thrice during his lifetime. With each visit, the guru-shishya relationship between them deepened; so much so that, in a letter addressed to the Raja, he said, ‘I consider you as my only friend in this life.’

In 1958, Raja Bahadur Sardar Singh, Raja Ajit Singh’s grandson, donated Futteh Billass Palace to the Ramakrishna Mission. Thereafter, it was renamed ‘Vivekananda Smriti Mandir’. Futteh Billass Palace now houses ‘Ajit-Vivek’, a museum dedicated to the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda.

The grand Museum was established in the restored Darbar Hall and Diwankhana Mahal. Shri Ashok Gehlot, the then Chief Minister of Rajasthan laid the foundation of the project on 4 October 2011. On 31 March 2019, Revered Swami Suvirananda Ji Maharaj, General Secretary, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission inaugurated the Museum.

This museum, housed in the majestic Futteh Billass Palace, showcases a collection of artefacts, photographs, letters, books and manuscripts that narrate the compelling story of Swami Vivekananda's visits to Khetri, his profound bond with the king, and his ground-breaking journey to the USA to storm the world with his phenomenal speech at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago. One finds in the Museum the main events of Swami Vivekananda's life depicted in panels and dioramas. His messages have been presented in audio-visual mode as well.

It stands as an enlightening source of information for visitors and a new dimension in the study of Swami Vivekananda for researchers.