Aug 07, Colombo: Sri Lanka is preparing to hold the festival of the most sacred Madhu Church in the northwest of the country on a grand scale on the 14th and 15th of this month.

The Sri Lankan army has handed over the control of the Madhu Church to the Catholic priests. The government has decided to declare the area surrounding the church as a sacred premises on the request of the Bishop of Mannar reverend father Rayappu Joseph.

The surrounding area was previously occupied by the Tamil Tiger rebels and the Army recently wrested control of the entire region from the Tigers. The Church damaged by the crossfire between the rebels and the troops was renovated by the Army last month.