Who was the sannyasi Vijayananda, and what brought him to Shirdi?

As narrated in Chapter 31, Vijayananda was a sannyasi from Madras who was on an enthusiastic pilgrimage to Mansarovar, with a secondary vow to eventually go to Japan. His journey took him through the region of Shirdi, and having heard of the great fame and glory of Sai Maharaj, he developed an intense longing for His darshan. This desire to see the world-renowned saint prompted him to stop in Shirdi, altering his planned route. This illustrates how Sai Baba would draw devotees to His feet, regardless of the great distances, like the one between Madras and Shirdi.