Jayalalithaa laid to rest next to her mentor MGR

Amid heart-rending scenes, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was on Tuesday evening laid to rest near the grave of her political mentor MG Ramachandran at the Marina beach with full state honours.Soon after the rituals got over around 6pm, the sandalwood casket carrying Jayalalithaa's mortal remains was lowered down after the traditional gun salute amidst emotional chants of 'Amma Vazhga' (Long Live Amma) by the thousands of people who had converged there.Jayalalithaa's long-time confidante Sasikala Natarajan and the AIADMK supremo's nephew Deepak performed the last rites at the MGR Memorial Site.This included showering of flower petals and sandalwood pieces after which the casket was lowered, symbolising the culmination of the customary rituals of the last rites.In death too, Jayalalithaa was in her favourite green colour saree, which some AIADMK leaders say was her lucky charm. The 68-year-old Jayalalithaa breathed her last at 11.30 pm on Monday after cardiac arrest at Apollo Hospitals, where she had been admitted on September 22.On Tuesday morning, Jayalalithaa's body was moved to Rajaji Hall from her Poes Garden residence for people to pay their last respects.President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, her counterparts from Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Delhi, Karnataka and Puducherry, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, and others also paid their last respects to Jayalalithaa.Later in the evening, Jayalalithaa's last journey started from Rajaji Hall for Marina Beach on a military vehicle.Panneerselvam, Sasikala and others were seated on the military truck that was towing the casket-laden carriage.The vehicle proceeded slowly through the streets packed with mourners towards Marina Beach.At the Marina Beach after the military honours, Jayalalithaa's body was transferred to a sandalwood coffin from the glass casket.Congress leaders Gandhi, and Ghulam Nabi Azad, Panneerselvam and Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao paid floral tribute to Jayalalithaa there.The religious last rites were simplified with Sasikala and her relative putting some sandal wood, flowers and other items as per the advice given by a religious expert.