Supporters say critics of Mother Teresa do not understand her

"Mother's name sells. Whatever is said about her is of interest, so if you can't say something good about her say something bad and it will still get in the newspapers."

Ms Sohinder Grewar worked with Mother Teresa for more than 20 years and believes that the wave of criticism in the wake of the Albanian nun's death is unfair and "by people who did not understand her work or knew her themselves".

One of the most vitriolic attacks came from the Telegraph, an English-language Calcutta newspaper. It said she accepted money from suspect sources, including Jean-Claude Duvalier, the former Haitian dictator, and a Californian banker, Charles Keating, who swindled small investors out of $157 million.

"It was the misery of Calcutta that built up and continued to sustain her reputation, that induced the rich and powerful to give her money and patronage," the paper said.

"But Calcutta has little reason to be grateful. It was she who owed a tremendous debt to Calcutta. No other city in the world would offer up its poor and dying to be stepping stones in a relentless ascent to sainthood. Calcutta gave her a halo."

Ms Grewar said that "Mother takes money from whoever gives it. She never asks where did they get it. The test is what she does with it. She spends it on the poor, for medicines, food and clothes." Others have described the criticism as unseemly. One observer said that "when the biggest cut-throat in Calcutta gives money to the temple there are no questions asked. It is accepted readily."

Yesterday the Hindu VHP party said "Mother Teresa can never claim to be a spiritual leader. She has offered her services to people who were ready to become Christians." But the nun's supporters said she never claimed to be a spiritual leader and took in whoever asked for help, no matter what their religion.

"You have seen the people who are coming to see her now, in their hundreds of thousands," said a woman at St Thomas's Church where Mother Teresa is lying in State. "No one is forcing them to come. No one is forcing them to queue for two or three hours. They want to come, because they saw that she touched and helped those whom no one else would go near."

Persistent critics point out that she fed the poor but never did anything about tackling the cause of poverty. Ms Grewar said Mother Teresa would tell people that "my mission is to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. Let society take on the empowerment of the poor."

People who were well enough after being looked after could go out and start again. The dying, "for their last few days would be clean, well-fed and loved".

Another worker described Mother Teresa as "in one way a very simple person. She could be totally childlike and naive but she also knew exactly what her mission was and was ruthless in getting there and that came from her faith".

Ms Grewar compared the nun to the Princess of Wales whom Mother Teresa met a number of times. "People could relate to Diana's beauty and fame. They can't relate to Mother's faith."