There is hardly any information about his ancestry. In Srinagar the only other Pandit family with 'Naqqash' as the clan alias used to live in Naqqash pora locality of Sathu Barbar Shah. They were basically Kouls.

According to Shri Santosh Kumar Gurtu, the grandson of Pt.

Mukand Ram Gurtu, Tota Ram Naqqash lived in 2nd half of 19th Century. Possible, Tota Ram died around 1880 AD. After his death his paintings were deposited with Gurtu family. With the break-up of the Gurtoo joint family in the first quarter of 20th Century, some paintings were inherited by Sh. Balkrishna Gurtu, father of Sh. Santosh Kumar Gurtoo. In mid-July 1947 when Lahore was rocked by unprecedented communal violence, Sh. Santosh Kumar, was able to retrieve part of the treasure that his family had inherited. These master paintings adorn his beautiful study. The author had the opportunity to see these. While recalling the story of how he managed to save these paintings for posterity, Sh. Santosh Kumar virtually broke down a number of times.

There are two glaring missing links. One, what happened to the other paintings passed on to brothers of Sh. Balkrishna Gurtu? Secondly, Are the paintings which Pt. Tota Ram Naqqash drew for individual buyers still extant? In Sh. Santosh Kumar's collection we have nine paintings, registered under the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act 1972. As per Sh. Gurtoo, these paintings were drawn between 1860-1880 A.D. The paintings have these themes: 1. Shaarika Goddess with Brahma, Visnu and Mahesh and the nine grahas invloving her blessings.

2. Vishnu at the Sheshnag, the halt before Panchtarni on way to Amarnath Cave.

3. Six handed Shankar and Parvati, with folded hands, celebrating Herath (Shivratri), Shankar holding two vatkus (small earthern pots) full of almonds and walnuts for distribution among the devotees. Parvati is the first devotee.

4. Five headed Shankar and Parvati at Panchtarni. From the Jataa of each head of Shankar, springs a stream of the Ganga.

Besides these purely Kashmiri themes, the other themes are: 1. Rishi Markandaya giving sermon to a devotee.

2. Rishi Markandaya explaining the fundamentals of dharma to a ruler.

3. A young yogi giving sermon to an elderly sadhu.

4. The Guru performing yagya: A shishya reciting veda.

There is another painting in the collection, which deals with a non-religious theme-the flower work.

It was not uncommon in 19th Century and early 20th century, as recalled by Pt. Sthanu Dutt, the former Librarian of the Kurukshetra University, that Kashmiri Pandit scribes would visit Punjab every year to seek business for their profession.

What is relevant here is that these scribes would shout, like street hawkers, 'Katib', 'Katib', 'Katib mai musavvir' (scribes together with a painter'. Some of these Katibs knew the art of illustration and painting as well.

In the National Museum, Delhi (there is a collection of 42 paintings, contained within text panels. The manuscript 'Ram Geeti Katha' (Acc. No. 56.19/1) has 274 folios, written in Nastaliq script in Brajbhasha. As per colophon the painting was completed in 1847 (1904 Bikrami).

The manuscript is discussed by Karuna Goswamy in her 'Kashmiri Paintings' (M.10 Page 79-80). The colophon written in red ink says that Pt. Tota Ram did the work for Lala Genda Mal Ji in 1847 in the administrative domains of Maharaj a Gulab Singh. There is no name of the painter mentioned in the Colophon.

Karuna Goswamy observes: "The scribe of the manuscript someone known from other Kashmiri works which have survived, is Pt. Tota Ram...one would not be surprised if the work is in the hand of Pt. Tota Ram himself who may have learnt the art alike of painting and calligraphy".

Kashmiri Pandit calligraphers were not known to have dealt with themes as depicted in 'Ram Geeti Katha'. Goswamy says that this text could perhaps be the only known manuscript of the Ram Geeti Katha, which appears to be a version in Brajbhasa verse of an older Sanskrit work, the Hanuman Hatak. She says Pt. Tota Ram may have been quite used to doing calligraphy works for Hindu and Sikh patrons in Punjab and Kashmir.

The noted art historian includes Ram Geeti Katha as a work done by a Kashmiri on the basis of style; conventions employed in rendering of figures, landscapes, sky, architecture; the colour; depiction of flowering shrubs, the distinctive tree, Ravana (with ten heads), rishis with their heads dressed in Kashmiri Kantopas; the treatment of fire etc. There is another manuscript in National Museum (Acc. No. 86.154/1-2) -  The Ram Charitamanasa of Tulsi Dasa in 2 Vols. with 105 paintings. Karuna Goswamy (M.11, p 80-82) attributes this work also, on the basis of its style, to a Kashmiri calligrapher/ painter. Since there is no name of the painter/calligrapher mentioned in the Colophon, its authorship can be decided only after close examination of the style. 'Bhasmasura seeks the blessings of Shiva (p. 15, pp 31)’, - on the basis of its style, phrasing of the caption and its placing, makes Karuna Goswamy pronounce that Ram Geeti Kathua and the other two annoymous works were done by same group of scribes and artists.

Who was Pt. Tota Ram, the calligrapher-painter of Ram Geeti Katha? Are Pt. Tota Ram Naqqash and Pt. Tota Ram the same person? The two lived around the same time. Pt. Tota Ram Naqqash, as his paintings dealing with religious non- Kashmiri themes reveal, was well-versed with the religious folklore of northern India. His brother-in-law, Pt. Mukand Ram Gurtoo was a well-known calligrapher in Lahore. Did Pt. Tota Ram Naqqash do the illustration work for the calligraphy done by his brother-in-law? We do not have any answers.

It is rather strange that none of the Kashmiri artists of our times have tried to work on the comprehensive art history of Kashmiri miniature paintings particularly pertaining to 19th century. The works of master painters of 19th century are available.

With a little effort it should not been difficult to work on the biographeis of these painters -  Hardas, his son Raja Ram Koul Tota, grandson Daya Ram Tota, Birbal Kaul, Devi Sahai Kaul Vasudev Garyali, and many others.