M F Husain laid to rest in UK

From H S Rao, London, Jun 10 (PTI) The body of India's most
acclaimed painter Maqbool Fida Husain was on Friday laid to
rest with full Muslim religious rites at Brookwood cemetery in
the UK, honouring his last wishes.
Husain was laid to rest at the cemetery, one of
the biggest in Europe, at Woking in UK's Surrey.
95-year-old Husain died of lung congestion at the
Royal Brompton hospital yesterday.
Earlier, the Namaza-e-janaza was performed at
Idara-e-Jaaferiya, a funeral Parlour at Tooting, to facilitate
the public to pay their last homage to the renowned painter.
His four sons, Shafad, Shamshad, Mustafa and Owais and
two daughters Aqeela and Raisa were also present at the burial
ground.
Over 50 people were present to pay their respect to
the artist, including Lord Ghulam Noon, leading NRI and
chairman of Noon Products.
The Indian High Commissioner Nalin Suri, leading NRI
industrialist Lakshmi Mittal, G P Hinduja, the vice-chairman
of the Hinduja Group, Joginder Sangar, leading hotelier and
chairman of the Bhartiya Bidya Bhawan UK, Asif Ibrahim,
Minister Coordination in the Indian High Commission were
present to pay their homage to the artist.
Alan Munnary, the grave digger said the 460-acre
graveyard is one of the biggest cemeteries in Europe.
Husain had expressed a wish to be buried wherever he
breathed his last.
The burial was delayed for an hour because the coffin
was too big and a new grave had to be dug. Husain also wanted
to be buried under the shade of a tree, family sources said.
India's biggest grosser as a painter with his works
fetching astronomical sums in auctions in London and New York,
Husain turned away from India in 2006 following a series of
legal cases and death threats over his depiction of Hindu
goddesses in nude.
He accepted Qatari citizenship in 2010 after
surrendering his Indian passport.
Husain started his career as a painter of Bollywood
posters in the 1920s and later went on to achieve iconic
status.