Kuala Lumpur, Apr. 13 : Mahatma Gandhi, US President Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden have shared space on a painting by Malaysia's contemporary artist Ahmad Fuad Osman.

The acrylic piece entitled "To Whom It May Concern" features the spectral faces of the stark philosophical opposites, with others such as Mahatma Gandhi, Adolf Hitler, Albert Einstein, Benito Mussolini, Martin Luther King and Joseph Stalin, surrounded by a crowd who are video recording them.

New Delhi, Mar 27 : James Otis, the US based collector and auctioneer of ''s personal belongings, today asserted that the purpose behind the auction was to remind the world about Gandhi''s greatness.

Addressing a news conference here, Otis, who sparked a row by putting up for auction Gandhi''s belongings earlier this month, apologized for unintentionally hurting Indian sentiments and asserted that the purpose of the auction was to remind the people about his teachings.

New York  - A set of artefacts that once belonged to Indian independence icon Mahatma Gandhi sold for 1.8 million dollars at auction in New York on Thursday.

Gandhi's iconic round-rimmed spectacles, a 1910 silver Zenith pocket watch, sandals, a bowl, a "thali" (plate) and letters of authenticity were bought by an Indian bidder.

Tony Bedi placed the winning bid in the room at New York's Antiquorum Auctioneers despite protests in India and an injunction from a New Delhi court seeking to halt the sale.

Bidding began at 20,000 dollars and rose to the final price within seven minutes.

New Delhi, Mar 5 : The Indian government on Thursday rejected a proposal by the US collector to halt the controversial auction of Gandhi's iconic round glasses.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said India cannot enter into such agreements where it involves specific areas of allocation of resources.

New York/Washington  - The iconic round-rimmed spectacles that Mahatma Gandhi said gave him the vision to free India are among several personal artefacts to be auctioned Thursday in New York, despite protests in India and an injunction from a New Delhi court.

The spectacles, a 1910 silver Zenith pocket watch, sandals, bowl, "thali" (plate) and letters of authenticity are to go under the hammer at 3:30 pm (2030 GMT) Thursday, New York-based Antiquorum Auctioneers said.

New Delhi - The Indian government plans talks Wednesday with a New York auction house that was due to put some artefacts belonging to Indian independence icon Mahatma Gandhi under the hammer.

The proposed auction has raised an outcry in India, and the government has stepped in to try to stop the auction and bring the memorabilia back home.