The funeral of Maqbool Fida Husain, India's most celebrated painter who died in London on Thursday in self-imposed exile after he was targeted some by the right wing groups in India over his works on Hindu deities, would be held in London, reports said on Friday.

The last rites will be held on Friday, reports quoting his family said.

Husain died at the age of 95 in London, away from India.

The artist fraternity, art lovers and his many admirers across the world and especially in India mourned the death.

Apart from his art, which are a blend of cubism and Indian style, his youthfulness and Bohemian ways- he was often seen in barefoot- also made him a colourful living legend of contemporary art.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called his death a national loss while President Pratibha Singh Patil called it a void never to be fulfilled.

Reports said he died in a London hospital at 2.30 am (London time) on Thursday.

M F Husain, born September 17, 1915, at Pandharpur in India's Maharashtra, was on self-imposed exile in Qatar and UK among other places after he got death threats.

With the acceptance of Qatar nationality, he naturally lost the citizenship of India. But he later said "I am beyond physicality" when questioned on feelings of losing Indian citizenship.

Venue depicting his works had been ransacked too in India.

According to Forbes magazine, this self-taught artist has been called the "Picasso of India".