National Museum of Kandy, National museum in Kandy, Sri Lanka
The National Museum of Kandy occupies a historical building and displays over 5000 artifacts from the Kandyan period between the 17th and 19th centuries. The collection includes various objects that document the cultural life and craftsmanship of that era.
The building served as quarters for royal concubines during Sri Wickrama Rajasingha's reign before becoming a museum in 1942. This change marked the shift from a private palace function to a place of public learning.
The Palle Vahala building that houses the main exhibits was the queens' quarters in the royal palace of Sri Wickrama Rajasingha. Before the museum opened in 1942, the building served as a store for artefacts made by the Kandy Art Association, founded in 1882, and by Matale artisans.
The museum sits beside the Temple of the Tooth, inside part of the former Royal Palace of Kandy. The main exhibits are in the Palle Vahala building, the king's former harem quarters, with a secondary exhibition in the main palace building. Look for the statue of Sir Henry Ward, governor of Ceylon from 1855 to 1860, in the museum grounds; it once stood in front of the Queen's Hotel.
The museum displays a reproduction of a historical document from 1815 that sealed the transfer of Kandyan provinces to British control. This document marks a turning point in the region's history and remains a powerful reminder for visitors.
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