Thousands mourn beloved leader Jayalalithaa in south India

Hundreds of thousands of people thronged the southern Indian city of Chennai on Tuesday to honor their late beloved leader, Jayaram Jayalalithaa, a former film actress and popular politician.

Jayalalithaa, chief minister of Tamil Nadu state, died overnight following a heart attack a day earlier.

Indian actress-turned-politician Jayaram Jayalalithaa dies

Jayaram Jayalalithaa, the hugely popular south Indian actress who later turned to politics and became the highest elected official in the state of Tamil Nadu, died Monday. She was 68.

The Apollo Hospital in the southern Indian city of Chennai said Jayalalithaa died at 11:30 p.m. local time Monday after undergoing surgery following a heart attack on Sunday night.

Known by her followers as "Amma," which means "Mother" in the Tamil language, Jayalalithaa inspired intense loyalty among film fans and political supporters alike.