Jayalalithaa laid to rest by side of mentor MGR

Chennai, December 6

Lakhs of grieving men and women today bid a tearful adieu to J Jayalalithaa, the charismatic Chief Minister who held sway over Tamil Nadu politics for more than three decades with a pro-poor image.  The AIADMK supremo was buried on the shores of Marina beach with full state honours. 

Jayalalithaa, who never shied away from flaunting her religious identity and beliefs, was surprisingly buried and not cremated. She was laid to rest by the side of her mentor and actor-turned-politician MG Ramachandran, a former Chief Minister.

President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, his counterparts from several states, Governor Vidyasagar Rao, DMK leader MK Stalin and superstar Rajnikanth were among the dignitaries who paid homage at Rajaji Hall where the body of 68-year-old Jayalalithaa lay in state since early morning.

Milk and holy water were sprinkled on the  body that was covered with the AIADMK flag with an image of Dravidian ideologue CN Annadurai. Nails were hammered in on the coffin that was engraved with the words ‘Puratchi Thalaivi Selvi’ (Revolutionary Leader).

Sasikala Natarajan, Jayalalithaa’s confidante for more than three decades, was beside the body throughout the day and later conducted the religious rites. No sooner had the rituals concluded at around 6 pm, the casket carrying the mortal remains of the five-time Chief Minister was lowered after a gun salute amid emotional chants of  ‘Amma Vazhga’ (Long Live Amma) by a sea of humanity that had converged at the burial site.

Thousands of people walked with the cortege that was part of a military convoy in which her coffin was carried, wrapped in the national flag and covered with flowers.

Amid a heavy security cover, the funeral procession made steady progress to the destination, 3 km from Rajaji Hall, passing through Madras University and the burial site opposite the British-era iconic PWD building.

With the Central Government ordering a state funeral, personnel from the three armed forces paid their respects and gave a guard of honour before Sasikala conducted the last rites with the aid of a Brahmin priest. —PTI