Thiruketheeswaram Temple Restoration Society organized Maha Shivaratri celebration on a grand scale at the Thiruketheeswaram Temple in Mannar on 10th March 2013.  The celebrations included performance by Oothuvar Mr. Thirugnana Sambandan Thiruvarur Arumugam Tamil Nadu, who sang Thirumuraigal (devotional songs) which are only allowed to be sung in this Kovil and discourse on religious themes by Prof. Dr. Sarawathy Ramanathan, renowned lecturer from Chennai, Tamil Nadu.  India-Sri Lanka Foundation had part supported participation of Oothuvar and Prof. Ramanathan in the Maha Shivaratri celebrations at Thiruketheeswaram Temple.  India-Sri Lanka Foundation had also part supported performance of Oothuvar Venkatesan and his partner from Palzani Kovil and Prof.  Sarawathy Ramanathan from Tamil Nadu for the Maha Shivaratri celebrations at Thiruketheeswaram Temple on 20th February 2012.

Mr. V Mahalingam, Consul General of India in Jaffna participated in the Maha Shivaratri celebrations at the invitation of Thiruketheeswaram Temple Restoration Society.  Consul General Mahalingam honoured the religious personalities from India during the occasion and also gifted books and Compact Discs of story books for the use of primary school students of the Gowriambal School, Thiruketheeswaram.

The legendary Thiruketheeswaram temple, one of the five sacred Ishwarams dedicated to Lord Shiva, is venerated by Shaivites throughout the sub-continent.  Government of India, in pursuance of the Joint Declaration issued during the visit of His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka to India in June 2010, has undertaken the project of restoration of the Thiruketheeswaram Temple. The project is being implemented under the Indian Grant Assistance of LKRs. 326 million with the assistance of the Archaeological Survey of India and the College of Architecture and Sculpture, Mamallapuram. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in October 2011 between the High Commission of India and the Thiruketheeswaram Temple Restoration Society laying down the modalities for the restoration work and the restoration project was launched by Hon’ble Kumari Selja, Minister of Culture, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India on 20 August 2012 during her visit to Sri Lanka accompanying Sacred Kapliavastu Relics for an exposition in Sri Lanka. Hon’ble Minister had unveiled a plaque at the sanctum and planted a “Vilvam” tree in the first street of the Temple in the presence of Hon’ble Douglas Devananda, Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development, Hon’ble Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce and H.E. Ashok K. Kantha, High Commissioner of India.  The project is progressing smoothly and presently stones carving is being carried out at the College of Architecture and Sculpture, Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India.