City observes a silent mourning

As this happened, the rest of the city was shut and the transportation system was majorly affected. Shops, business establishments, malls, eateries and even petty shops remained closed throughout the day. Though there were no buses on the road, the trains were functional but crowded. 

“I wanted to reach my grandparents living in Egmore from Thirvyanmyur to ensure that they have all the basic supplies for the next few days. I took the MRTS train around 10 am to reach Chintadripet station. The train was crowded as many passengers wanted to reach Rajaji Bhavan. The station was crowded and there were no autos,” says S Sudharshan, an IT professional, who had to walk for about a kilometre to reach his destination. 

People were also disappointed with the app-based taxi services, as most of the time, the cabs weren’t available or the drivers refused services. “Initially the app showed that there were no cabs available. Even if I wanted to ‘share’ the ride with another passenger, no one accepted my request. After almost an hour of trying, I managed to get a cab with a surge pricing of Rs 2.5,” says Charan Kumar, who ended up changing his plans.

Meanwhile, auto drivers charged exorbitant fares. “An auto ride between Nungambakkam to Chetpet that costs anywhere between RS 40 – 50, went up to Rs 150. The auto driver made it clear that he wouldn’t budge. We tried looking for other autos and everyone quoted unimaginable numbers. One of them even added that there was a likelihood that his auto will be attacked and the passengers had to pay extra for the risk he was taking.”

People travelling from other cities to Chennai also had to changed their plans. “I had gone to Puducherry for attending an event and was unable to travel back to Chennai on Monday and Tuesday as there were no bus services to the city,” says Sunaina S, a musician. 

Following the death of former Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa, Madurai and other parts of southern districts came to stall still as large number of people peacefully mourned her death. 

Ever since Jayalalithaa was hospitalised special prayers were offered at temples throughout the State. When she suffered a cardiac arrest and her health condition worsened on Sunday special prayers were offered on Monday morning at various temples. 

However, after the news her demise reached the people at midnight, they started putting up condolence banners and posters. At several places in Madurai a ‘model burial place’ was made and her photo was placed on it for people to mourn her death.

At many places party cadres tonsured their heads as sign of expressing their condolences to Jayalalithaa. At Mullai Periyar River in Theni district more than 50 All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) cadres carried out a peaceful procession and tonsured their heads. Similarly, cadres also tonsured their heads at Madurai and Tiruenveli.