Restoration of Thiruketheeswaram Temple:

India provides Rs 326 m in assistance

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Monday in Colombo between the High Commission of India and the Board of Trustees of Thiruketheeswaram Temple Restoration Society, for restoration of the Thiruketheeswaram Temple in Mannar.

The MoU was signed by High Commissioner of India Ashok K. Kantha and , Chairman, Thiruketheeswaram Temple Restoration Society V. Kailasapillai in the presence of Minister for Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa. The Indian assistance for the restoration of the Thiruketheeswaram Temple is about SLR 326 million. The signing ceremony was also attended by Major General G.A. Chandrasiri, Governor, Northern Province, Milinda Moragoda, Dr. Senarath Dissnayake, Director General, Department of Archaeology, Director, Department of Hindu Affairs, TTRS Trustees and other office bearers.

The MoU signed Monday is pursuant to the Joint Declaration issued during the state visit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to India in June, 2010, which had welcomed the proposal for restoration of the Thiruketheeswaram Temple at Mannar to be undertaken with the assistance of the Archaeological Survey of India and the College of Architecture and Sculpture, Mamallapuram.

A team led by the Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India, Chennai Circle and consisting of representatives from the College of Architecture and Sculpture, Mamallapuram had visited Sri Lanka in August, 2010. A detailed report on the restoration of the Thiruketheeswaram Temple was prepared, based on discussions with the Department of Archaeology and TTRS, in addition to inputs from their field visit to the Thiruketheeswaram Temple. The signing of the MoU will result in the re-initiation of the restoration work which was being carried out in the years 2005-2006 at the Thiruketheeswaram Temple, but had to be abandoned due to the then prevailing security situation.

The historic temple of Thiruketheeswaram is one of the holiest shrines in Sri Lanka and an important symbol of Sri Lanka's cultural Heritage. The restoration of the Thiruketheeswaram Temple in Mannar, Sri Lanka is symbolic of India's commitment to assist in the rejuvenation of the social, cultural and spiritual life in the Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka. India has also been supporting projects for rehabilitation, resettlement and well-being of displaced persons in the Northern Province in the areas of shelter (through roofing sheets and cement bags), healthcare (providing emergency medical relief, organizing artificial limbs refitment camps and equipping hospitals), livelihood generation (provision of fishing equipment, tractors, agricultural equipment and seeds), education (repairs of schools and setting up of vocational training centres) and infrastructure development (restoration of Northern Railway lines, rehabilitation of Palaly Airport and KKS Harbour).