Magul Maduwa (Audience Hall) of the Kandyan Palace

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The Magul Maduwa, or Audience Hall, in Kandy is a historic wooden pavilion where the last kings of Sri Lanka conducted administrative and judicial duties. Started in 1783, this architectural masterpiece witnessed the 1815 handover of sovereignty to the British and the tragic sentencing of national patriots like Keppatipola Disave.

The Magul Maduwa of the royal palace served as the place where the king convened with his ministers and conducted daily administrative affairs. Among local residents, it was also known as the Maha Naduwa (high court), as it functioned as the royal court. This building is alternatively referred to as the Assembly Hall or the Audience Hall.

Construction History

The construction of this finely carved wooden structure was initiated by King Rajadhi Rajasinhe (1779–1797) in 1783. However, the project remained incomplete during his reign.

Historical Significance

The Magul Maduwa has been the setting for several important events in the history of Sri Lanka. Most notably, it was here in 1815 that the last Sri Lankan kingdom was formally ceded to the British Crown, bringing an end to over 2,500 years of sovereignty. It was also within this hall that death sentences were pronounced by the British against Madugalle Disave and Keppatipola Disave, both regarded as patriotic figures.

Use During the British Period

In the early years of British occupation, the Audience Hall was repurposed by Christian missionaries as a place of worship, forming part of their conversion efforts. Despite its prior importance within the Kandyan Kingdom, the hall came to be associated with what were described as “the most horrid cruelties” during this period.

A detailed account of its use is provided by Rev. Reginald Heber, the Lord Bishop of Calcutta, in his work Narrative of a Journey Through the Upper Provinces of India (1829). Describing a sermon held in the hall, he observed:

“…. Early this morning the Bishop held a confirmation; there were seven native candidates, and twenty Europeans; and he afterwards preached at the usual time of morning service. There is no church, but the Hall of Audience, where the Kings of Candy held their courts, is used as such; it is a long room, of which the wooden pillars, having the lotus carved on their capitals, are the only ornamental parts remaining. It was a most interesting and affecting sight to see Christian worship performed, and a Christian bishop blessing his congregation, a part of which was native, in the very spot where the most horrid cruelties were exercised not more than ten years ago. How little could such an event at that time have been contemplated! ….”

Architectural Modifications

The present form of the Magul Maduwa includes extensions made during the British period to accommodate the visit of the Prince of Wales in 1875. As part of these modifications, 32 intricately carved wooden columns were removed from Pale Vahale—the former residential quarters of the queen during the reign of the last Kandyan king, now functioning as the National Museum—and replaced there with brick pillars.

Of these, 16 wooden columns were repurposed to extend the Magul Maduwa, with eight columns added on each side. The deteriorated bases of the original pillars were also replaced with new wooden supports.

Architectural Features

Following these additions, the structure now comprises two parallel rows of elegantly carved wooden pillars, each row consisting of 32 columns.

Moonstone at the entrance to the Magul Maduwa of the Kandyan Kingdom

Intrincsic wood carvings at the Magul Maduwa of the Kandyan Kingdom

Also See

Kandy – The Last Kingdom of Sinhale

Map of the Audience Hall of the Kandyan Palace

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Driving Directions to Audience Hall of the Kandyan Palace

Kandy can be reached from Colombo via the old Colombo-Kandy road (option 1), which is scenic but heavily congested, 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: Walapane – Raja Mawatha Distance: 100 km Travel Time: 3.0 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.	Through: Warakapola – Kegalle – Kadugannawa Distance: 121 km Travel Time: 4.15 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.
Route From Nuwara Eliya to Kandy
Through : Walapane – Raja Mawatha Distance: 100 km Travel Time: 3.0 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.