The Tamil Nadu CM suffered a massive cardiac arrest on Sunday night and died at 11:30 pm on Monday at the age of 68, Chennai's Apollo Hospital said.
The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayaram Jayalalithaa - known fondly by supporters and the political fraternity as Puratchi Thalaivi - suffered a heart attack on Sunday night and died at 11:30 pm on Monday at the age of 68, Chennai's Apollo Hospital said.
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Jayalalithaa's Party also confirmed her death and lowered its flag to half-mast before hoisting it up once again. The Party tweeted, "Our beloved leader, the Iron Lady of India... Amma, is no more".
She had been receiving treatment for months. Thousands of her supporters had gathered to pray for her recovery before that.
There are fears her death could spark unrest given the extreme devotion she inspires among her supporters, many of whom refer to her as "Amma" (mother in Tamil).
Earlier reports of her death, which were swiftly denied by authorities, led to scuffles between the cops and her supporters outside the Apollo hospital. Heavy police forces have been deployed across the Southern State amid fears of unrest among her supporters following her death.
The actress-turned politician served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu four times. Jayalalithaa is revered by many but seen by her nemeses and critics as a cult personality over the years.
Hundreds of people gathered on the streets near the hospital to catch a last glimpse of the CM, despite it being the dead of the night.
Upon seeing the ambulance that carried her body emerging from the main gate of the hospital, supporters bellowed in pain and anguish, and jostled forward to try and get close to the vehicle - almost breaking the police line in the process. Many of them shed tears and the atmosphere turned mournful.
Senior AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam will be sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after a few hours, as per reports.
Panneerselvam, the entire Cabinet, top officials and others mourned, too. The body was taken to Poes Garden, the neighbourhood which has been Jayalalithaa's home for the past several decades. The streets have been barricaded as people thronged the narrow lanes for an all-night vigil.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first in the Centre to offer his condolences.
"I will always cherish the innumerable occasions when I had the opportunity to interact with Jayalalithaa Ji. May her soul rest in peace," he tweeted.
Khushboo Sundar, film actress and Congress party spokesperson also came out and expressed her grief and condolences. She said that despite political differences, she had nothing but respect for the late CM.
Khusboo called Jayalalithaa a feminist icon and a champion of women's rights as the latter fought against the odds to make a name for herself in a largely "male-dominated" politics.
Born in 1948 in the State of Karnataka to a family from Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa, who was an actress as well, lived a dramatic life, both on screen and off. She appeared in more than 100 films (Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu) before turning to politics in 1984, after campaigning for MGR.
She later became the supremo of the AIADMK, before leading it to victory in 1991. However, her life had its own complications as she was accused of corruption on several occasions, and spent two short spells in prison - most recently in 2014.
But the Karnataka High Court, in 2015, passed an order acquitting her of all those charges, which paved the way for her return to power.
Jayalalithaa's supporters and some critics admit her role in the development of Tamil Nadu into one of India's most industrialized States.