Sanskrit scholar and the founder of Sharda Gyan Peetham, Vasant Anant Gadgil, passed away on Friday morning( 18 October) in Pune. He was 94.

• Nitin Jalukar, a family member, said Gadgil’s last rites were held at Vaikunth Smashanbhumi.
• Gadgil, who studied Sanskrit at Tilak Maharashtra University, established the Sharda Dyaan Peetham in Pune and travelled to places like the US and Africa to promote the Sanskrit language.
• He learnt ancient Sanskrit texts like the Vedas and the Upanishads. Gadgil was also previously associated with the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute.