Following a directive given by the Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, the Army commenced clearance of LTTE laid minefields in the Kovil premises and its surroundings, as the first leg of the project on 4th March 2010.

Within six days the Army Engineers de-mined an area of about 509,050 sq.m and declared the area safe for use. This coincided with the re-opening of this sacred Kovil which used to mark its annual feast annually on 13th March on a grand scale.

After an absence of nearly 30 years, hundreds of devotees flocked to the shrine and conducted the annual feast on 13th March throughout the whole day. The feast continues until Vesak Full Moon Day’s water cutting ceremony.

This Hindu temple in Mannar with its direct links to Trincomalee and Galle Thirukeshwaram Hindu Kovils of historic importance records a saga that goes back to the days of Prince Vijaya and other royalties, who had reportedly arrived there from overseas for religious offerings and veneration. Legends and folklore tell that the first structure of the Kovil at Mannar had been built by Kings Raja Raja Solan and 2nd Rajendran Sola.