Kandy Royal Palace, Kandy - Timings, History, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 2 km from Kandy Railway Station, the Royal Palace of Kandy is an ancient palace situated near the Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy. Also known as Mahawasala, it is one of the must-visit places in Kandy as part of your Sri Lanka Tour.

The Royal Palace of Kandy was the royal residence of the Sri Lankan monarchy of the Kingdom of Kandy in Sri Lanka. The last king to reside in this palace was King Sri Wickrama Rajasinha (1798-1815). The first palace was built by King Wickramabahu III in the 14th century CE. King Vimala Dharma Suriya I (1592-1603) also occupied this palace and made various improvements to the existing palace. During the reign of King Senarat (1603-1634), the Portuguese attacked the Kandyan Kingdom and destroyed the palace. Rajasinha II who ascended to the throne in 1634 rebuilt it and all the subsequent kings used this as their Royal Palace until 1815 when the British took over Kandy.

The King's Palace or Raja Wasala was once part of a large palace complex that included many other building like Royal Audience Hall (Magul Maduwa), Queen's Palace (Meda Wasala), King's Harem Quarters (Palle Vahale) and Queen's Bathing Pavilion (Ulpange), together with the Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa). However, only the front entrance of the royal palace with a few buildings remaining today. The section of the palace facing the Natha Devale is said to be the oldest.

Situated behind the Temple of Tooth Relic, this monarchical building exhibits the Kandyan architectural style. The Raja Wasala or King's Palace is a long building with wide verandas, three gateways, and a courtyard. The inner walls of the palace are imprinted with stucco and terra-cotta work. During the beginning of the British period, it was used by Government Agent Sir John D'Oyly and his successors as their official residence.

The building is now being used as a Museum of the Department Archaeology. The museum has a collection of pots, daily used possessions of kings and queens, woodworks and wood carving maintaining the legacy of the Kandyan era, from centuries back. One can also visit the Palace Park located in the boundaries of the Palace.

Timings: 8 AM - 4.30 PM, Closed on Every Tuesday

Entry: Free