Jayalalithaa Passed Away

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, popularly known as Amma, passed away on 5 December 2016 at 11:30 pm at the Apollo Hospital, Chennai. The death followed a cardiac arrest she suffered on Sunday night.

The 68-year-old leader was buried in the presence of tens of thousands of mourners, with full state honors at Marina beach, Chennai, next to the memorial of her mentor and former chief minister Dr M G Ramachandran.

Her mortal remains were brought to her residence in Poes Garden on at 6 am Tuesday. She was draped in the Tricolor, the Indian national flag, and encased in a glass casket and placed at the Rajaji Hall for the grieving people to pay their tributes.

The nation is mourning the death of Amma along with the people of Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu government has declared state mourning for seven days. Holidays have been declared by various state governments across India.

Life in Chennai and the rest of Tamil Nadu came to a standstill when news of her death spread with shops, educational institutions and offices remaining closed. The national flag was lowered half mast across India.

Several prominent leaders from all walks of life visited Rajaji Hall to pay their tributes to the departed leader, including President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Meanwhile, O Panneerselvam, who has been the acting Chief Minister since Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospital on September 22, was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the state.