Within sniffing distance of the Obamas

All that separated the mediamen,including those who came with the Presidential entourage,was a thin black ribbon when the book signing began.

Obama walked into the library,adorned with slogans like ‘Freedom is like a birth’,’Life is great than all art’ and ‘Ahimsa (non violence) is the highest ideal’.

The US President,along with First Lady Michelle,walked to the specially built podium where the book was kept.

Obama,wielding a pen in his left hand,immediately got down to writing the message,describing Mahatma Gandhi as a hero not just to India but to the world.

Michelle wrote that Gandhi’s teachings should be shared with children around the world.

“The President and the First Lady said they were very impressed with the simple life of Gandhi,” the Mahatma’s granddaughter and Chairperson of the Gandhi Smarak,Nidhi Ushaben Gokani said.

“In fact,Michelle embraced me and the President even invited me to meet them in the White House,” Gokani said after Obama’s 45-minute visit to the place where the Father of the Nation stayed while in Mumbai during 1917-34.