India and Sri Lanka are the closest of neighbours, with the edifice of the relationship built upon a legacy of intellectual cultural, religious and linguistic interactions over a period of 2500 years, Union Minister for Culture Kumari Selja said while launching the project.
Thiruketheeswaram Temple, one of the five sacred Ishwarams dedicated to Lord Shiva, is venerated by Shaivites throughout the sub-continent and the temple was testimony to the most difficult period in the history of Sri Lanka as it was closed for 12 years during the armed conflict and re-opened in 2002.
The restoration project will bring the temple back to its ancient glory, once again rendering it a mirror-image of the famous Shiva Temple in Thanjavur.
The restoration work, which is worth Sri Lanka rupees 326 million, has been undertaken under the grant assistance programme of India.