Ehelepola Walauwa, Manor house in Kandy, Sri Lanka
Ehelepola Walauwa is a rectangular stone building in Kandy that combines traditional colonial architecture with wooden elements and a central courtyard. The rooms are surrounded by thick walls that shield the interior space from the outside.
The house served as the ancestral home of the Ehelepola family, particularly under Ehelepola Nilame, a court official of prominence during the early 19th century. His involvement in significant political events of that era made the residence a place of historical importance.
The residence displays the walauwa style, a traditional home form of Sinhalese noble families who used it to exercise power and local administrative duties. The rooms and courtyard reflect how wealthy families of that era lived and displayed their standing in the community.
Access is available to visitors following extensive restorations by the Urban Development Authority and Department of Archaeology completed in 2022. The building can be toured to see how it has been preserved and brought back to its restored state.
The residence was later used as a British colonial prison where Buddhist leaders were held before their executions. This dark period shows a dramatic transformation in the function and meaning of what was once a wealthy family home.
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