Background
Nilkanth Gurtoo was born in Srinagar, Kashmir, India on January 2, 1925.
Nilkanth Gurtoo was born in Srinagar, Kashmir, India on January 2, 1925.
He learned advanced texts of Sanskrit grammar and linguistics from Pandit Lalkak Langoo, Pandit Harbhatta Shastri and Pandit Sarvadananda Handoo, Pandit Maheshwar Nath Nehru and Pandit Jankinath Dhar. He also qualified for the traditional degrees of Prajna, Visharada and Shastri in Sanskrit from Government Sanskrit College, Srinagar (affiliated with the University of Punjab in Lahore). After qualifying for the Prabhakar degree he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sanskrit.
Gurtu initially worked as a Sanskrit teacher in the Government Sanskrit School in Tral, Kashmir, and simultaneously he also earned a degree of Master of Arts in Sanskrit.
He then earned an Master of Arts degree in Hindi as well. He was associated with the Jammu & Kashmir Research and Publication Department of the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, Government Souer College & Amar Singh College, Srinagar (under the University of Kashmir).
Professor Gurtu died on 18 December 2008, from Alzeimers disease.