Agra: Leading hotelier of Agra Surendra Sharma, 79, a passionate heritage conservationist, died early Sunday, of prolonged illness, family members said.

Sharma was the owner of the Goverdhan hotel, established in 1955, at Delhi Gate, famous for vegetarian food.

He was the founder president of the Agra Hotels and Restaurants Association, a leading campaigner for heritage conservation in Agra, and patron of the English Literary Society of Agra.

He was cremated at the Taj Ganj electric crematorium. A large number of tourism industry captains, cultural activists joined his funeral.