Thiruvananthapuram: As park of respect to J Jayalalithaa, government offices and educational institutions in Kerala will remain shut on Tuesday.


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The former Tamil Nadu chief minister passed away Monday night at Apollo Hospitals after a prolonged illness.


Jayalalithaa, a spinster, breathed her last at the Apollo Hospitals just before midnight, over 24 hours after she suffered a cardiac arrest that derailed the halting progress she had been making on the health front.


Kerala Governor described the her as the greatest woman political leader in contemporary India.


"In her we saw the perfect blending of the strong will of an able administrator and the compassion of a philanthropist".


"In her sad demise, we have lost a unique mother's touch that had brightened the lives of millions of people during the last three decades".


The Tamil Nadu government declared a seven-day mourning. Schools and colleges in the sprawling state will be closed for three days.


As Jayalalithaa's death became known, a loud wail rent the air outside the Apollo hospital where thousands had gathered since her cardiac arrest on Sunday evening, hoping against hope that she would survive.


President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in paying homage to Jayalalithaa, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha at the start of her political career.


The last rites will be held at the Marina Beach Tuesday evening.