Royal Palace of Kandy

Royal Palace Kandy, Kandy Overview

Kandy’s legacy and heritage remains incomplete without getting a glimpse of the Royal Palace of Kandy, situated in the north to the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Before British Colonialism overtook the Kandyan Kingdom, this was the last royal structure built in the heart of Kandy city by Vikramabahu III in the 14th century.

This monarchical building exhibiting Kandyan architectural excellence reveals clues and information regarding the royal life of the Sinhalese before the British invasion. The Palace area is humungous along with a Palace Park near the Kandy lake and the Archaeological Museum. While exploring Sri Lanka, visit this Royal Palace to get in touch with the country’s extensive history and to identify and admire historical artefacts that have become rare and antique in today’s modern times.

Timings to Visit the Royal Palace

The Royal Palace of Kandy in Sri Lanka is open to all the locals and tourists from 08:00 AM to 04:00 PM. However, most of the crowd appears in the afternoon mainly. Saturdays and Sundays in a week, are closed.

Entry Fee for Visiting Royal Palace

The entry fee is subjected to change with respect to the decisions as made by the palace authorities.

Entry fee for children is free.
Entry fee for adults is 1000 LKR.
Entry fee for carrying video camera is 300 LKR.

Things To Do in Royal Palace

1. Some of the few architectural wonders inside the Royal Palace of Kandy that one should pay a visit are - Queen’s Chamber, Concubine’s Quarters, Council Chambers, Armory Section.
2. Do not miss the famous Temple of the Tooth which is located inside the palace complex. Monks worship three times a day in the inner chambers of the Temple of the Tooth, which is supposed to harbour the missing tooth of Buddha.
3. Visit the Archeological Museum which was formerly a part of the palace. The gates of this museum are huge and have intricate works in it. 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.
4. One can also visit the Palace Park located in the boundaries of the Palace. This Park is well-maintained and provides visitors with a stunning view of the Kandy Lake. It is a quaint place to enjoy the quality time under the shade. Entry fee for foreigners in the park area of the Palace is 100 LKR.

Architecture of Royal Palace

Royal Palace of Kandy, famous for its architectural significance, has three gateways or wahalkadas. The King’s Palace or the Raja Wasala is a huge area with wide verandas and a courtyard. The inner walls of the palace is imprinted with intricate works of sri lankan’ terra cotta and stucco. The Royal Audience Halls portrays kandyan style architecture with designed wooden pillars and Kandyan style roof top. The Lower Palace which is now converted to the National Museum has huge doors along with a veranda and courtyard, all designed keeping in mind the Kandyan architectural essentials. Apart from this, the Ulpange or the Queen’s Bathing Pavilion was also constructed in a completely different Kandyan style building bounded by lake.

History of Royal Palace

The history of Royal Palace of Kandy dates back to the 14th century. It was built by Vikramabahu III in the beautiful valleys of Kandy, portraying exceptionally intricate architectural excellence. By the time of Wrickrama Rajasinha, the last king of the Sinhalese Monarchy, several other building structures were formed inside the palace complex. It served as the royal residence of the Sinhalese monarchy until 1815 when Britishers took over the island. The present Royal palace of Kandy in Sri Lanka is the remains of the original palace which has been rebuilt a number of times in the past years, owing to destruction. It included King’s Palace, Royal Audience Hall, Queen’s Palace, Queen’s Bathing Pavilion, Temple of the Tooth, Royal Court and other architectural marvels. The main 8 feet high entrance wall still has the historical significance of earlier times and is architecturally very eminent.

Tips for Visiting Royal Palace

One is not required to take off your shoes. So, no problem regarding footwear will happen.
There is no boundation for carrying video cameras for clicking still photographs and videos. So if you are interested to capture, do carry your camera.

How To Reach Royal Palace of Kandy

If you are already in Kandy, then you need to go for public transportation which has designated routes towards the Royal Palace. You can rent a cab or go by bus or go in tuk-tuk, as well. Other transportation routes from the Royal Palace are -

Distance from Kandy Railway Station - 1.47 KM