Udbodhan starts its journey on 14 January 1899, with Issue 1 Volume 1. It features a ‘Prastabana’ or ‘proposal’ by Swami Vivekananda, where he delineates the mission of the magazine. Udbodhan is to be a means to combine and assimilate the best parts of the Orient and the Occident, a bridge between ancient wisdom and modern practicality, and a tool to reawaken the sleeping masses of India. Its contents would feature religion, society, politics, philosophy, science, agriculture, industry, art, literature, history, travel, and more.