Jayalalithaa Buried, Not Cremated Like Most Hindus? Here’s Why

Apparently, the Hindu funeral related rites were completed at Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden home on Tuesday morning.

The mortal remains of J Jayalalithaa in Chennai on Dec 6, 2016.(Photo Courtesy: IANS/Modified by The Quint)

J Jayalalithaa belonged to a Hindu (Iyengar Brahmin) family and was known to be a believer who prayed regularly. However, the state government decided to bury her mortal remains instead of a cremation.

Why the Burial?

Reason #1: All Popular Dravidian Leaders Have Been Buried on Marina Beach

All the popular Tamil leaders like Periyar, Anna Durai and MGR were buried on Marina Beach with sandalwood and water. The same has been done for Jayalalithaa too.

Reason #2: Burial Sites Serve as Memorials

The burial sites serve as memorials of the leader and a site where the followers can come and remember their leaders.

Reason #3: Possible Political Challenge From Jayalalithaa's Niece

The cremation requires the presence of a family member to set fire to the funeral pyre. However, Deepa Jayakumar, daughter of her late brother Jaya Kumar, was not allowed to visit Jayalalithaa in hospital despite several attempts since September 2016. She, along with her husband, was pushed out of the main gate of Apollo Hospital by the Tamil Nadu police at the behest of undisclosed authorities.

Read more: Jayalalitha’s Niece Deepa Jayakumar Denied Entry at Apollo

Jayalalithaa's close aide Sasikala and her family perhaps kept Deepa out of the picture due to the potential political threat she poses.

The move though, has surprised many.

South Indian TV channels like Thanthi TV posted the pictures of the burial in their tweets.

(With Inputs from The News Minute and The Indian Express)