Mourners shave heads for India's Jayalalitha Published duration 7 December 2016

image copyright Reuters image caption Jayalalitha inspired devotion among many in Tamil Nadu

Mourners in India have been shaving their heads as a mark of respect to the charismatic politician J Jayalalitha, who died on Monday night.

Tens of thousands attended the burial of the chief minister of the southern state of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.

Head shaving is a Hindu mourning tradition usually reserved for the death of a close relative.

Supporters of the deceased leader are sitting on plastic chairs around Jayalalitha's grave to have their heads shaved.

One elderly woman screamed and beat her head repeatedly with her hands, banging herself against the police barricades around the grave.

"She took care of everything and we wanted for nothing," 47-year-old Paramashiva told AFP news agency after having his head shaved.

The practice of hair-shaving - or "tonsuring" as it is termed when done for religious reasons - is also associated with seeking blessings from Hindu gods, in the hope that they will bless devotees with good luck in return.

image copyright Reuters image caption Mourners have been flocking to Jayalalitha's grave near Marina beach in Chennai

image copyright AFP