Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c13.9

c13.9

Of the palace in Kandy, only a part now remains, consisting of several buildings, some of massive construction, adjoining the Māligāva. Of these buildings a part forms the Government Agent’s residence;† part the Kandyan Museum; while the Audience Hall built for the last king is now a law-court. The meḍa vahala or middle palace is “perhaps the only real Kandyan building left intact in Kandy, and not spoiled by adaptation to material requirements of the British Government at the time of the occupation of Kandy or subsequently.”‡ A good idea of a Sinhalese royal palace may be gathered from Knox’s description of that of Rāja Simha II. (seventeenth century). “The Palace is walled about with a Clay Wall, and Thatched, to prevent the Clay’s being melted by the Rains, which are great and violent: Within this wall it is all full of houses; most of which are low and thatched; but some are two Stories high, and tyled very handsomely, with open Galleries for Air, rayled about with turned banisters, one Ebony, and one painted, but not much prospect, standing between two Hills. And indeed the King lives there not so much for pleasure as security. The Palace itself hath many large and stately Gates two leaved; these Gates, with their posts, excellently carved; the Iron work thereunto belonging, as Bolts and Locks, all rarely engraven. The Windows inlaid with Silver plates and Ebony. On the top of the houses of his Palace and Treasury, stand Earthen Pots at each corner; which are for ornament; or which is a new fashion, something made of Earth resembling Flowers and Branches. And no House besides, except Temples, may have these placed upon them. The contrivance of his Palace is, as I may say, like Woodstock Bower, with many turnings and windings, and doors, he himself having ordered and contrived all these Buildings, and the manner of them.” The King also had several houses overlooking the tank, built according to his own appointment “very handsom, born up with carved Pillars and Painted, and round about Rails and Banisters turned, one Painted and one Ebony, like Balconie.”