Who was the sannyasi Vijayananda, and what was his reason for visiting Shirdi according to Chapter 31?

According to the narrative in Chapter 31, Vijayananda was a sannyasi from Madras who was on a pilgrimage to Mansarovar. He was very determined, even holding a vow to potentially travel to Japan. His visit to Shirdi was not part of his original itinerary. However, on his way, he heard about the great glory and fame of Sai Maharaj, who was renowned as a great saint. This news sparked an intense "longing for darshan" within him. Consequently, he decided to interrupt his journey and came searching for Shirdi specifically to have the darshan of Sai Baba, illustrating how Baba drew devotees to His feet from far and wide.