AHMEDABAD: They stopped awhile and bent to take their shoes off. It was the entrance to Hriday Kunj at the Sabarmati Ashram here, home to Mahatma Gandhi from 1917 to 1930. The visitors: US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump At the ashram, by the river Sabarmati, Trump thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the ‘wonderful visit’ and called him a ‘great friend’ in the guest book. The US president and the first lady were accompanied by their daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner at the ashram.While President Trump and the first lady removed their shoes, Melania put on a pair of ankle socks before entering the ashram. They were welcomed with a khadi dupatta by Vikram Sarabhai ’s son Kartikeya, on behalf of the ashram trustees.President Trump and Melania, who participated in a 22-km roadshow soon after landing at Ahmedabad airport, had a brief stopover at the ashram and Bapu’s cottage ‘Hriday Kunj’ which was home to Mahatma Gandhi from 1917 to 1930, when he left for the Dandi March.Gandhi had settled in the city in 1915 but had stayed at Kochrab Ashram till 1917. The Sabarmati Ashram served as one of the main centers of the Indian freedom struggle.Sarabhai said before the US President and first lady tried their hand at the charkha, President Trump told him: “Being at the ashram was a moving experience.”While PM Modi, President Trump and first lady Melania were bound by protocol, Jared and Ivanka took keen interest in Bapu’s life at the ashram and made sure they visited every room of Hriday Kunj, including Kasturba’s room and even took help of an ashram official to learn more about Bapu’s life.Meanwhile, PM Modi ushered the US dignitaries to Bapu’s portrait at Hriday Kunj where they garlanded it.Before the US president and first lady left the ashram, the trustees presented them ‘Gandhi’s Talisman’ printed on a piece of khadi, a pencil sketch of Mahatma Gandhi by city-based artist Vijay Shrimali which imitated a famous photograph clicked in a London studio during the 1931 Round Table Conference.Bapu had posed for this picture on the request of Lord Irwin.