From correspondents in Kerala, India, 06:35 PM IST

Spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi, popularly known as 'Amma', has accepted an invitation from Sri Lankan President Mahendra Rajapakshe to visit the country and hand over the keys of the houses that her mutt built for the tsunami victims there.

A statement issued by the Mutt Wednesday said the function would take place at the Presidential Palace in Colombo Friday.

As many as 96 houses have been built at two locations, one in the Western Province in the Sinhalese district of Kalutara and the other one in the Tamil district of Ampara in Eastern Province.

Each house measures 600 sq feet and was built at a cost of Rs.400,000.

After the December 2004 tsunami disaster, Amma offered more than Rs.35 million for the tsunami rehabilitation work in Sri Lanka.

Soon after the calamity struck, she had visited Sri Lanka and took part in relief operations. She also visited tsunami-relief camps and distributed clothes and medicines to the disaster victims.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)