Revisiting the history and timeline of the Royal Palace of Kandy through its spatial logics.

The paper traces the history of the Royal Palace Complex of Kandy and the Kandyan Kingdom through the incremental developments and expansion of the kingdom and its complex. Being the longest monarchy in Sri Lanka before the British annexation, the architecture of the Palace of Kandy has changed through the years in terms of the form and typology of the structure. This research paper is a way of studying and revisiting the history of the palace through a timeline of the spatial logic from being a single-building structure in the 14th century to having multiple buildings for various purposes within the complex today. It is also a way to understand how the form of the building has evolved and how the cultural practices and gender and royal hierarchies in the kingdom brought in the additions of the multiple structures and embellishments existing in the complex.

                                         Map of Kandy City in 1815                                                Map of Kandy City today

The Kingdom of Kandy centered in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka being the last independent kingdom in Sri Lanka, endured from the late 15th century until its annexation by the British in 1815. Throughout its history, the Royal Palace of Kandy has undergone shifts in its geographical placement. The Kandyan Kingdom frequently conflicted with European colonial powers, starting with the Portuguese in the 16th century, the Dutch in the 17th century, and the British in the 18th century. 

King Vickramabahu III in the 14th century built the first Palace of Kandy followed by improvisations and additions to the palace building by Senasamatha Vickramabahu of the Gampola Kingdom [ 1359 - 1374 AD ] . The palace had been deconstructed and rebuilt several times after colonization and the different eras of Kings. Even though there is no evidence of the previous palace structures as the palaces built before the 15th century are not well-documented, they likely featured early forms of the distinctive Kandyan architecture known today. 

 Royal Palace Complex, 17th century                                                                           Palace Complex, 18th century

In the 15th century, Vimaladharmasuriya I initiated the construction of the Maha Wasala, or the Royal Palace as a part of establishing Kandy as the administrative center of his kingdom which served as the royal residence. He also brought the tooth relic to Kandy and built a two-storied Temple of the Royal Palace of Kandy to house the relic along with bringing significant cultural changes to the palace complex. 

The Portuguese attacked the Kandyan Kingdom and destroyed the palace which was rebuilt by Rajasinghe II who acceded to the throne in 1637 expanding the sacred precinct of Kandy, the Dalada Maligawa, adding an extra story to the central building which became the Royal Palace for the subsequent kings. The rebuilding of the palace set a precedent for the future of Kandyan architecture. His efforts ensured that the Maha Wasala remained the central heart of the kingdom for cultural and administrative purposes.

The palace is positioned at the northern extreme of the royal complex containing a central gateway alongside a staircase ascending to a hall that has intricate stucco and terracotta embellishments. The long wings of the palace house chambers and rooms on either side with a veranda that overlooks a common courtyard. The building has now been repurposed to become a museum by the Department of Archaeology.

The Dalida Maligawa, now called the Temple of the Tooth, built in the 18th century as the royal palace for the last Sinhalese King, was converted into a temple to house the Tooth Relic of the Buddha. This monument has seen much change due to being rebuilt multiple times by different eras of Kings.  During his reign, King Wimaladharmasuriya I built the temple as a two-story building; which was destroyed in the invasion of the Portuguese. Rebuilt by King Rajasinghe II in 1635-1687, the structure was burnt down during the Dutch invasion. Later, King Wimaladharmasuriya built another three-story building at the same location followed by subsequent renovation by the following kings. Sri Vikrama Rajasinghe added significant aspects to the monument like the moat and the octagonal Paththirippuwa in 1802. The entrance to the Tooth Relic Temple is through a stone slab bridge over the moat known as the Moonstone. The moat is placed between a thick short wall pierced with triangular cavities to be illuminated called the wave swell wall and the other wall in a higher elevation curving along the design of the temple called the cloud swell wall.

Sri Vikrama Rajasinghe introduced many other buildings in the Royal complex like the Magual Madawa or the Royal Audience Hall which was used as the royal court where the king met his ministers to carry out administrative tasks and where royal ceremonies and events were held. The hall is supported by wooden pillars with intricate carvings reflecting the craftsmenship of the Kandyan woodworkers. The hall is an open structure from all sides accommodating multiple people for gatherings.

The Palle Vahale or the Lower Palace, also stemming from the era of Sri Vikrama Rajasinghe, was located next to the Temple of the Tooth. This building served as a living space and home to the King’s harem or secondary escorts of the King.  Its design is more modest compared to royal residences reflecting the social structure of the Kandyan Kingdom. The Palle Vahale contains a series of interconnected rooms, the four cardinal points of the space have interior verandas that overlook a common courtyard. This courtyard design is a common feature in Sri Lankan palatial architecture. In 1942, the Lower Palace was opened to the public as the National Museum of Kandy as it was previously used as a depository for historical artifacts.

The Queen’s Palace also known as the Meda Wasala, is situated north of the lower palace sharing similar architectural design and building type. The building has a series of rooms arranged around a central courtyard, providing light and ventilation to the interior spaces. It was not just a living space for the Queen and other female members of the Royal family but also a center for the queen’s court, where significant decisions regarding the kingdom were often discussed and made. 

The complex has developed over time to have multiple functioning buildings . From being constructed and rebuilt over the years, the type and form of the palace has transformed to become a large widespread complex separating the single palace structure and expanding the areas into grander structures. Post 1815 after the British took over Kandy, they utilized the royal spaces for their governmental responsibilities and opened up the palace to the public in the form of a museum providing an insight into the royal lifestyle and cultural practices within the Palace.