Preceded as it was by a long period of illness, the death of J Jayalalithaa has come as a heavy blow for millions in Tamil Nadu. As the state’s foremost woman leader and one of its longest serving chief ministers makes her final journey, the homage to her at Rajaji Hall and her funeral at Marina Beach later are fitting reflections of the key place she occupied in the history of the state’s Dravidian politics.
Rajaji Hall, built originally as the Banquet Hall to celebrate British military victories at Plassey in 1757 and against Tipu Sultan in 1799, has been the site of many key events in Chennai’s history. From legislative sessions to the 1961 celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s birthday to the ceremonial farewells to former chief ministers CN Annadurai (in 1969) and K Kamaraj (in 1975), Rajaji Hall has been the preferred site.