Dunuwila Walawwa

Dunuwila Walawwa is the former manor house of the Dunuwila family, whose history is traced back to the reign of King Rajasingha II. A Dunuwila Nilame served at the court of Sri Wickrama Rajasinha, the last king of Kandy, and a Dunuwila Adhikaram held the title Gajanayake Nilame, chief in charge of the royal elephant stables -- the walawwa is said to have been sited near the stables so its occupant could keep watch over them. The building standing today, on Sri Dalada Thapowana Street, is described by some sources as combining Kandyan, Dutch, and British architectural elements and using Burmese teak in its construction, though it is also classified simply as British colonial in style; no record gives a date for when it was first built.

By 1848 the property had come under police control, and following a later sale on which sources disagree -- both on price and on the exact mechanism -- it had by 1870 been entrusted to the Kandy Municipal Council. It now serves as the Kandy Town Hall, seat of the Mayor's office and the Council's administrative staff, and was declared an Archaeological Protected Monument in 2005.

As a working government building, it is not set up for casual visiting. Anyone wanting to see it should confirm access on site and treat it as a municipal office rather than a conventional attraction, and the survival of original fabric behind its current use should likewise be confirmed on site.