India's best known painter left out of Delhi art show

India's most-celebrated living artist Maqbool Fida Husain works on a sketch of Karachi's National stadium during the fifth and final one-day international cricket match between India and Pakistan February 19, 2006. .

NEW DELHI (Reuters Life!) - India's biggest art fair opened on Friday, but the show was mired in controversy when organizers left out the works of the country's best-known painter for fear of attacks by Hindu vigilantes opposed to him.

The works of Maqbool Fida Husain, typically a blend of cubism and classical Indian styles that fetch millions on international art markets, were conspicuous by their absence at the India Art Summit.

The artist's famous paintings of naked Hindu gods have delighted art aficionados but enraged Hindu vigilantes who have attacked his house in the past and vandalized shows displaying his works.

Husain was hounded into a self-imposed exile by Hindu zealots and now divides his time between Dubai and London.

"We call ourselves the world's biggest democracy but we are allowing these extremist groups to dictate what can be allowed in the public sphere," said Ram Rahjan, a photographer and friend of Husain.

While organizers of the New Delhi art summit excluded Husain's works, some art galleries at the show were defiant and displayed pictures of Husain and digital photos of his work at their stalls.

An artist group SAHMAT held a protest exhibition with Husain's replica works at a separate venue.

The Indian government also criticized the organizers for excluding Husain. "The absence of his works at the India Art Summit will not reflect the true art scenario of India," it said in a statement.

But the row did not dampen spirits and sales at the New Delhi art fair were brisk.

The art summit brings together over 200 artists and wealthy collectors, including those from China, Hong Kong and Dubai who can choose from the 400 artworks on display for three days.

India's economic boom has led to a mushrooming of art galleries and prices skyrocketing, making contemporary art as sought after as a badge of affluence as luxury cars and branded jewellery among the newly rich.

Sotheby's and Christie's regularly hold auctions of Indian contemporary art and the works can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars amid an international boom in Asian art.

Kanta Kishore, 27, an artist from eastern India sold most of his realistic newspaper sculptures within hours of the opening.

"I'm very happy of course," said Kishore, who labors for two to four months on each sculpture.

(Editing by Krittivas Mukherjee and Valerie Lee)