Old Royal Palace — Attraction in Central Province

The remains we see today of the Royal Palace of Kandy is the residence of the last king of Kandyan Kingdom, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe (1797 – 1814). But the original palace has been burnt and destroyed several times and rebuilt again by subsequent kings.

The first palace was built by King Vickramabahu III of Gampola Kingdom (1357-1374) and by Senasamatha Vickramabahu (1469-1511) of the same. Wimaladharmasuriya I (1592 – 1603) also occupied this palace thereafter and each of them probably made various improvements to the existing palace.

During the period of King Senarat (1603 – 1634), the Portuguese attacked the Kandyan Kingdom and destroyed the palace. Rajasinghe II who accented to the throne in 1637 probably rebuilt it and all the subsequent kings upto 1815 (the year which the kingdom fell under British rule), used this as their Royal Palace. By the time of the last king, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe (1797 – 1814) the palace comprised of many buildings scattered spread among the premises. After the British invasion, the palace was used by the british government agents.

Today only the front entrance of the old palace situated on the left hand side of the Temple of Tooth Relic remains and the building houses the Museum of the Department of Archeology. The queens quarters are used as the District Courts today, The building today known as “Palle Vahala” which houses the National Museum was used by the Queen and the princesses during the last king, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe (1797 – 1814). “Meda Vahala” which was used by the relations of the King, houses the Folk Museum today. “Maha Gabadawa” (the royal stores) and the “Aramudale” (treasury) of the last king was probably destroyed by the British and a building to house the Karachchi has been built. Now it houses the High Court. [h]

The “Dalada Maligawa” ( Temple of the Tooth Relic) is also part of the palace complex. The “Ulpange” (queens bathing pavilion) which stands on the edge of the Kandy Lake near the Temple of Tooth Relic was converted to a library by the British invaders and now it is been used as a police post.

Primary Source : “Kandy” By Central...

Royal Palace of Kandy is one of the most popular places to visit in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is a magnificent structure that will leave you awestruck like never before. Situated near the temple of the tooth, the palace is surrounded by lush greenery which gives it an aura that will make you fall in love with it the first time that you visit it. The palace is visited by many tourists every year and is a great place for a family visit and friends meet. For the people who are history enthusiasts and looking for satiating their curiosity, the palace is a great tourist attraction they must visit once.

History of Royal Palace of Kandy

The Royal palace of Kandy used to be the royal home of the Sinhalese Monarch. It was built firstly by the King Vickramabahu III who was the king of Gampola kingdom. The last king who lived there was Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. It had been divided into several sections that belonged for different purposes in the royal families. Some of the sections are king’s palace, royal audience hall, kings’ harem’s quarters, queen’s bathing pavilion and the queen’s palace. After being burnt in a fire, a huge part of the palace was lost. So, now you can only see the royal court and the temple of the tooth. A part of the palace has been converted into a museum which is called the National Museum of Kandy. The museum offers a glimpse into the artefacts that belonged to...

The Royal palace of the Kandyan Kingdom is the last reminiscence of the reigning King of Kandayan, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe. The palace dates back to the 14th century, yet witnessing the glory and glamour of the kingdom is stupendous. The Palace has seen scars from many wars and tremors of foreign invaders like the Portuguese.

The Royal court, another architectural capture has confronted many meetings formed by the king and it is here that the end of Kandyan Kingdom convention was signed. The temple of Tooth contributes maximum attraction to the tourists. Even though, the original palace walls have been burnt and rebuilt, the interiors remain the same.

Highlights: Dalada Maligawa - Temple of Tooth (relic of Buddha’s Tooth), Royal Court (Magul Maduwa), Queen’s Bathing pavilion – Ulpange and the Royal gardens inside the Palace gates

Location: Sri Dalads Veediya

Entry Fee: 2483 LKR per head

Timings: 8:30...