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Mahatma Gandhi [Images] inspires US Presidential hopeful Barack Obama [Images] and he flaunts it by having a portrait of the former at his Senate office.

The Democratic Party candidate has spoken highly about Gandhi, saying the apostle of peace reminds him about the real message of life.

'Throughout my life, I have always looked to Mahatma Gandhi as an inspiration, because he embodies the kind of transformational change that can be made when ordinary people come together to do extraordinary things,' Obama has told Outlook magazine in an interview.

He cites this as the reason for having Mahatma Gandhi's portrait in his Senate office. It is 'to remind me that real results will come not just from Washington -- they will come from the people'.

Obama is also said to be a believer in Lord Hanuman [Images] and keeps his statue as a lucky charm.

He talked about the rural development work his mother did in India and said he was 'fortunate' to have close Indian-American friends.