Ruins of the Palace of Sri Weeraparakkrama Narendrasinghe at Kundasale

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The only indication of the palace at Kundasale are these two boards.
image source : mahawansa.wordpress.com

Sri Weeraparakrama Narendrasinghe ascended to the throne in 1706 at the age of 18 and was the last Sinhala king of Sri Lanka. He ruled the Kandyan Kingdom for 33 years but was not regarded as an effective ruler. Known for his indulgent lifestyle, he was nicknamed “Sellam Rajjuruwo” (playful king) by his subjects.

Kundasale was one of his favorite retreats, particularly because of a specific jackfruit tree from which he enjoyed ripe waraka. It is also said that he had numerous romantic affairs with local women in the area.

In 1710, the king decided to relocate his palace from Kandy to Kundasale and entrusted its construction to Rambukwelle Dissawe, the governor of the region. He was the only Kandyan king to make Kundasale the kingdom’s capital. The palace was designed by a craftsman named Devendra, who built it entirely out of wood on a hilltop within a royal garden known as Narikele. Rather than a grand royal palace, the structure resembled a summer residence. The site of this palace is now a vacant land known as Udamaluwa, situated adjacent to the Sri Narendrasinghe Rajamaha Viharaya.

True to his nickname, the king was fond of performing acrobatic stunts in the Mahaweli River while bathing. Some chieftains, plotting his assassination, planted poisoned spikes in the water, hoping he would fatally wound himself during one of his jumps. On the day of the planned attack, the king noticed a dragonfly resting on the water’s surface. Realizing that this was unusual, he inspected the river before diving in and discovered deadly spikes underneath the water. Kahanda Sumitra Bandara and Chief Adigar Rammolaka were found responsible for the plot and were executed. Following this, Ehelepola Adigar was appointed as the new Chief Adigar.

In 1739, the king fell gravely ill, and despite receiving Ayurvedic treatment, his condition did not improve. A Dutch physician, Dr. Daniels, treated him with Western medicine, but the king passed away on May 13, 1739.

Decades later, in 1804, British forces led by Captain Johnson attacked the palace, looted its treasures, and set it ablaze. The remaining wooden structures were later repurposed to build a structure near the Sri Narendrasinghe Rajamaha Viharaya, which still stands today. Other surviving elements were distributed among various temples in Rambukwella for preservation.

Stolen Sandagala of the Kundasale Palace

A large rock with a circular carving called Sandagala was still at the Palace site. From the view of it, this would have been buried under the earth with the carved surface visible from the top.

Elephant carvings found at the Kundasale Palace after being painstakingly restored after the LTTE terrorist bomb blast at the Temple of Tooth Relic

It is also believed that the two elephant carvings at the entrance of the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth Relic) were originally brought from the ruins of Sri Weeraparakrama Narendrasinghe’s Kundasale Palace. However, these carvings were destroyed when LTTE terrorists detonated a massive bomb in front of the temple. The fragments of these carvings have since been restored and can now be seen on the temple grounds.

Today, little remains of the once-grand palace site, except for two notice boards put up by the Department of Archaeology. The area is now overgrown with dense jungle, with the remaining ruins buried beneath time. Unfortunately, no significant excavations have been carried out at this site to uncover its historical remnants.

References

Abeyawardhana, H. A. P. (2004) Heritage of Kandurata: Major Natural, Cultural, and Historic Sites. Kandy: Kandurata Development Bank, in association with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
Lrrp. (2011, August 11). අවසන් සිංහල රජුගේ රාජ මාලිගය කැලයෙන් යටවෙලා. Wings of Time. Retrieved September 2, 2024, from https://mahawansa.wordpress.com/2011/08/11/අවසන්-සිංහල-රජුගේ-රාජ-මාල/

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Travel Directions to Ruins of the Palace of Sri Weera Parakrama Narendrasinghe at Kundasale

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.