1) Martin Luther King III talking to Ravi Ponangi  2) Martin Luther King III and his wife Arndrea Waters King unveil a rare 1959 photograph of Dr Martin Luther King Jr and his wife

Atlanta, GA: Martin Luther King III, oldest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who visited India recently, said that his trip to India retraced the steps of his parents of 50 years ago. He said that he drew inspiration from Gandhi. His visit to India along with his wife was a rare honor to him, and it was one of the wonderful experiences, he pointed.

"It was so honorable that I was able to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi. It is another thing for you to be physically present at the site and experience it for yourself," said King.

"One thing my mom shared how inspiring it was. She and my dad were in India in 1959. Fifty years later in 2009, my wife and I were in India to trace my father’s ‘pilgrimage’ to that great country. It was remarkable visit."

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited India between February 10 and March 10 in 1959, and the month-long tour to places associated with Mahatma Gandhi had left a positive impact for his crusade in the US.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of King’s historical visit to India, his oldest son, Martin Luther King III, and a delegation of Congress-men and leaders paid an official visit to India. A Congressional delegation led by Rep. John Lewis, accompanied King III on his journey to India. Other members of the delegation included former Senator and advisor to President Kennedy Harris Wofford and renowned musician Herbie Hancock. Mike Patel, a prominent businessman of Atlanta, also traveled with the delegation. The visit was organized by the US State Department and the government of India.

Martin Luther King III’s itinerary in India was between February 13, 2009 and February 26, 2009. The delegation visited places associated with Mahatma Gandhi that included Rajghat in New Delhi, Sabarmati Ashram, and Gujarati Vidhyapeeth in Ahmadabad, a university started by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920s, Mani Bhavan in Mumbai, and Trivandrum, Chennai and Kolkata. Martin Luther King III had meetings with a cross section of Indian leaders and officials. He interacted with students, dignitaries and media during his visit. He also attended peace concerts and visited Gandhi’s memorial and an exhibition of pictures displayed by the American Embassy in Delhi