One day in Dwaraka, while Gauri-Ma was repeating her mantra in front of the Krishna temple, she had a vision of Krishna in the form of a boy. A vision is only temporary, however, and instead of satisfying her, it increased her longing all the more. Deeply feeling the pang of separation from her beloved Lord Krishna, she returned to Vrindaban. There she started vigorous austerities. One night she even tried to take her own life in the Lalita kunja (grove), but at that critical moment she had a vision and lost outward consciousness. The next morning some women found her lying unconscious. They knew who she was, so they devotedly took care of her.
The news spread of her return to Vrindaban, however, and when her uncle found out he came and took her to his home. He showed Gauri-ma a letter written by her grief-stricken mother and convinced her to return with him to Calcutta. When Giribala saw her daughter she wept and embraced her. Gauri-ma’s family was very happy to have her back.
It is hard for a person who has had a taste of freedom to remain in one place. Moreover, comforts and an easygoing life are impediments to monastic life. One day Gauri-ma told her mother that she was going to Puri to visit Lord Jagannath and that she would return soon. Thus, Gauri-ma left home again. From Puri she went to Sakshigopal, Alalnath, and Bhubaneswar, and she also visited some monasteries at this time. In 1880 Gauri-ma became acquainted with Radhamohan Basu, a wealthy landlord of northern Calcutta. He had a large estate in Orissa and also a retreat in Vrindaban. Radhamohan, a devotee of Krishna, was greatly impressed with Gauri-ma’s renunciation and devotion. In 1882 Gauri-ma accepted an invitation to visit his Calcutta home, and it was there that she met his son, Balaram Basu, who was a great devotee of Sri Ramakrishna. Balaram also was a friend of Gauri-ma’s elder brother. (Source: They Lived with God)