'We already have too many mahatmas' said Vallabhbhai when he first had the opportunity to learn about Gandhi in 1915 as Patel played bridge in the Gujarat Club in Ahmedabad.

Hearing of Gandhi's methods of satyagraha, ahimsa and truth, Patel laughed calling Gandhi a 'crank'. A friend seated beside Patel on the card table remarked that the nation could not be served sitting in the Club. Though Patel mocked Gandhi outwardly, seeing men of outstanding repute and intellect join Gandhi, stirred something deep within him.

Soon thereafter, he joined the list of successful professionals who had left their careers to answer Gandhi's call to serve the nation. He became a life-long follower of the Mahatma.

Despite initially dismissing Gandhi's methods, Patel was drawn to Gandhi. The successful barrister dressed in a western suit and speaking mainly English, did not envisage a life of satyagraha when he first encountered the Mahatma. But something began to churn within him after watching Gandhi closely.

Speaking of Vallabhbhai's decision to leave his practice and join the path of satyagraha, Gandhi said 'Vallabhbhai told himself "No doubt my practice is flourishing today. I am also doing something big in the municipality. But the struggle for the peasants in Kheda is bigger than that. My practice may or may not be there tomorrow. My money will be blown tomorrow; those who inherit my money will blow it. Let me leave them a higher legacy than money.'

Giving up his ambitions and dreams, Patel followed in the footsteps of the Mahatma nursing the cherished desire of freedom. 'I took to this life after mature consideration and not on the spur of the moment' he said of his decision. This decision altered no doubt his own life. But it altered also the destiny of the nation.

'I felt it was a crime to keep aloof from the Mahatma' said Patel speaking of the tug at his heart to join Gandhi's movement. It was in November 1917 that Patel had the first direct contact with Gandhi. This occurred when both of them took part in the Gujarat Political Conference in Godhra.

The very first act of Gandhi, whilst he presided over the Sabha, was to tear apart the resolution of loyalty to the British King, that every political conference in India was supposed to begin with. Then Gandhi requested all leaders present - Tilak, Jinnah and Patel to speak in an Indian language. Sardar struggled with his Gujarati whilst making the speech at the conference but Gandhi's bold moves and novel ideas had won him over.

After this meeting, Vallabhbhai agreed, at Gandhi's request, to become the secretary of the Gujarat Sabha's executive committee. Thus began a powerful association between Vallabhbhai and Gandhi.

'When I joined Gandhiji, I collected some firewood, lit a fire and put all considerations of my family, my career, my reputation and everything into the fire. I do not know what would be left of all these except the ashes' said Patel about his decision in January 1918 to join Gandhi in the struggle for freedom.

'Living with him convinced me that India's salvation lay only in treading the path shown by him' Patel said about his decision to follow Gandhi's path of satyagraha.

While Gandhi and Patel had their share of differences and disagreements and on rare occasions even snapped at each other, Patel never broke away from his mentor and abided always by Gandhi's wishes.

Here he is seen in the midst of a thoughtful discussion with the Mahatma during the Simla Conference. Along with them is also Patel's daughter Maniben who was a constant witness and companion in Patel's journey. Her diary, into which she entered every detail from the daily record of her father's life to details about his appointments and opinions, is a very valuable source for reconstructing the life and times of this great leader.

'Marte dam tak, joh unko sahi laga, woh unhone nahi choda' says Patel speaking of the dedication and commitment of Mahatma Gandhi. India's position in the world is unique, says Patel. No other nation shares the kind of cultural diversity India enjoys. Gandhi's role in getting such a diverse group of people together is even more noteworthy in this context, he says. A heartfelt tribute by Patel to Mahatma Gandhi, his mentor and guide till the very end.

Forming a formidable partnership, Sardar Patel and V.P. Menon managed to secure the accession of 565 princely states into the Union of India in record time. Never before in history had the task of Integration of a Nation been accomplished so swiftly and efficiently.

Patel was known to be an astute judge of people. Placing complete faith in his team, he had a great ability to delegate responsibility. So while he formulated policy and played an active part in negotiating with the rulers of Princely states, he trusted Menon and other Ministry officials in matters of implementation.

'Sardar Patel never interfered in my work. I did my job in the full knowledge that I had his authority to carry out his policy. He accepted my views on most matters; if he disagreed, he would tell me so. We would then discuss and argue the issue, and if I succeeded in convincing him of the correctness of my view he would readily accept it. I have never seen him swayed by considerations of prestige' said V.P. Menon speaking of his long association with Sardar Patel.

Here, Sardar Patel and V. P. Menon are seen with the Maharaja of Cochin.

'A leader’s skill is judged by his competence in selecting his assistants. Many were prepared to follow me, but I could not make up my mind as to who should be my deputy commander. Then I thought of Vallabhbhai. I must admit that when If first met Vallabhbhai, I could not help wondering who this haughty person was, and whether he could be able to do what I wanted…if it were not for his assistance, this campaign could not have been carried through so successfully.' Thus said Gandhi speaking about Vallabhbhai Patel after the success of the Kheda peasant's movement, Vallabhbhai's first satyagraha in 1918.

'When it comes to obeying an order, there is no soldier like me.' said Patel speaking many years later about an instruction given by Gandhi. 'This is Vallabhbhai's soil. He has been through the fire but further tests await him. I have no doubt that in the end we shall find pure gold,' remarked Gandhi paying a fitting tribute to Patel at a peasants meeting in Vallabhbhai's village Karamsad during the satyagraha.

Meeting Gandhi, being entrusted as the second-in-command at Kheda by Gandhi and the continued association with Gandhi proved to be a turning point in Vallabhbhai's life.

Inspired by Gandhi's call for non co-operation in 1920, Maniben, Sardar Patel's daughter, left her Government school at the age of 16 to join the Amhedabad Proprietary School which had surrendered its affiliation to the Government. This decision of his daughter was endorsed by Sardar Patel.

Later at the age of 17, Mani wrapped up all her jewels in a bundle and deposited them with Gandhi's ashram contributing toward India's liberty. Again, her father did not protest. On Tilak's first death anniversary in 1921, Gandhi began a new initiative. Bonfires of foreign cloth. Answering the Mahatma's call, Patel tossed in his barrister's gowns, suits, shirts and more into the bonfire. Patel's children Mani and Dahya had already switched to khadi before him and Mani had also decided to spin yarn for her father's dhotis.

From 1927 till his death Patel wore clothes spun by his daughter Maniben's hands, never again wearing a mill-made garment. Maniben remained beside Sardar through much of his life.

Her diary with meticulous records about her father's appointments and other details has served as a great source for historians to reconstruct the life of Sardar Patel.

This photograph shows Sardar Patel with his daughter Mani.

The responsibility of steering the young Indian nation out of the chaos that followed the transfer of power and partition rested on the broad shoulders of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru. Overcoming occasional friction and disagreement over certain issues, they worked together during the long years of the freedom struggle and thereafter.

Writes Nehru to Patel in a letter dated 3rd February, 1948 following the death of their mentor Mahatma Gandhi :

'...I have been greatly distressed by the persistence of whispers and rumours about you and me, magnifying out of all proportion any differences we may have...We must put an end to this mischief...It is over a quarter century since we have closely associated with one another and have faced many storms and perils together. I can say with full honesty that during this period my affection and regard for you have grown, and I do not think anything can happen to lessen this.

To this Patel responded on 5th February, 1948 :

'...We have both been lifelong comrades in a common cause. The paramount interests of our country and our mutual love and regard, transcending such differences of outlook and temperament as existed, have held us together.' 

While differences in outlook and approach made them very different men, they were bound together by a unity of purpose.