Renowned Sanskrit scholar Ghulam Dastagir Birajdar dies

Renowned Sanskrit scholar Pandit Ghulam Dastagir Birajdar died at Solapur in Maharashtra on Thursday afternoon following a brief illness, family sources said.

Dastagir, 87, had in-depth knowledge of Hindu scriptures including the Vedas and had translated several books from Hindi and Urdu into Sanskrit.

He had received several awards including the national teachers' award of the Union government.

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari condoled his death.

''He dedicated his entire life to the promotion and propagation of Sanskrit. I pay my respects to the departed soul and convey my condolences to the members of the bereaved family,'' Koshyari said in his message.