Ehelepola Walawwa in Kandy | AmazingLanka.com

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Ehelepola Walawwa in Kandy now a part of the Bogambara Prison

It is said that there were 18 Walawwa within the city of Kandy during the period of the last king, Sri Wickrama Rajasinhe (1798-1815).

Dunuwila Walawwa (දුනුවිල වලව්ව) – Currently used as the Kandy Town hall. Gone through some modifications
Ehelapola Walawwa (ඇහැලේපොල වලව්ව) – Currently part of Bogambara Prison Complex
Ellepola Walawwa (ඇල්ලේපොල වලව්ව) –
Moladanda Walawwa (මොලදණ්ඩ වලව්ව) – destroyed
Nugawela Walawwa (නුගවෙල වලව්ව) – destroyed
Mullegama Walawwa (මුල්ලේගම වලව්ව) – destroyed
Kapuwatta Walawwa (කපුවත්තෙ වලව්ව) –
Wegodapola Walawwa (වෑගොඩපොල වලව්ව) –
Meegasthanne Walawwa (මීගස්තැන්න වලව්ව)-
Mampitiya Walawwa (මාම්පිටිය වලව්ව) – Basic structure of the Walawwa still survives. Today this building is known as the Royal Bar and Hotel on Raja Veediya
Arawwawala Walawwa (ඇරැව්වාවල වලව්ව) –
Arapola Walawwa (ඇරෑපොල වලව්ව) – destroyed
Molligoda Walawwa (මොල්ලිගොඩ වලව්ව) – destroyed
Dullewa Walawwa (දුල්ලෑව වලව්ව) – Changed by the British and then converted to Queens Hotel today
Ratwatte Walawwa (රත්වත්තේ වලව්ව) – Chandra Silk House today
Pilimathalawa Walawwa (පිළිමතලාව වලව්ව) – Currently the President’s House is located here. Another part is used as the Governor’s quarters.
Dehigama Walawwa (දෙහිගම වලව්ව) – Destroyed. Now Central Finance Building
Eramuduliyadde Walawwa (එරමුදුලියද්දේ වලව්ව)
Giragama Walawwa (ගිරාගම වලව්ව) – not generally listed as part of the 18 walawwas.

Ehelapola Nilame (1773 – 1829) was a courtier of the Kingdom of Kandy. He was the 1st Adigar (Maha Adikaram) from 1811 to 1814 under the reign of King Sri Wikrama Rajasinha. After Ehelapola Kumari Hami (wife of Ehelapola Disawe) and his two children were brutally murdered by the king, he aided the British in launching an invasion of the Kandy Kingdom and was instrumental in the Kandyan Convention that followed which led to the annexing of Kandy Kingdom to the British Empire.

Once the British took over Kandy, they didn’t waste much time rounding up all the chieftains, nobles and Buddhist prelates of the kingdom. Ehelapola Walawwa was used as the prison for most of the Nobles. Madugalle Nilame, Ellepola Nilame, Keppatipola Nilame and Kivulegedara Mohottirala were some of the residents of this prison before they were murdered by the British.

Thereafter Ehelapola Walawwa continued to be part of the Kandy prison complex until independence in 1948. Unfortunately, even after independence, the Walawwa continued to be part of the Bogambara Prison despite many attempts to open it up to the public as a heritage building. But in 2013, after almost 200 years, The Prison department released the Walawwa to the President for development and public display but unfortunately, this Walawwa still stands as it was without public access.

Also See

Kingdom of Kandy – The last kingdom of Sinhale

Map of Ehelepola Walawwa in Kandy

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Travel Directions to Ehelepola Walawwa in Kandy

Kandy can be reached from Colombo on the old Colombo – Kandy road (option 1) which is scenic but heavy in traffic, especially on Fridays and Sundays. However, the new Central Expressway (option 2) has opened up a new route which is longer but less cumbersome.

Route 1 from Colombo to Kandy	Route 2 from Colombo to Kandy
Through : Katunayake Expressway – Central Expressway – Kurunegala Distance :150 km Travel time: 3.20 hours Driving Directions : see on Google map	Through : Katunayake Expressway – Central Expressway – Kurunegala Distance :150 km Travel Time: 3.20 hours Driving Directions : see on Google map
Route From Nuwara Eliya to Kandy
Through : Walapane – Raja Mawatha Distance :100 km Travel Time : 3.0 hours Driving Directions : see on Google map