Thiruketheeswaram Kovil

  

Thiruketheeswaram is one of the five Sivan temples (1. Tiruketheeswaram 2. Munneswaram 3. Thondeswaram 4. Tirukoneswaram 5. Naguleswaram) in the Island. The giant Sivalingam carved out of granite stone which was excavated by archaeologists in Thiruketheeswaram temple area in the fifties is believed to have been buried when the portuguese period destroyed the temple during their invasion of Mannar in the 16th century. The temple which was in ruins was gradually rebuilt to its pristine glory during the british period with Hindu elite from Jaffna playing a major role in the reconstruction.