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Kandy Lake royal bathhouse island (Kunda Salawa): Kandyan architecture and secret tunnel myths?

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Guru Gunadasa Pavilion•945 rep

What historical construction records and subterranean drainage tunnels connect the artificial royal island pavilion in Kandy Lake to the royal palace?

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4 Answers from travellers

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The artificial island in the center of Kandy Lake (Kiri Muhuda), known historically as Kunda Salawa, was constructed in 1807 by King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe as a private royal summerhouse and queen's bathing pavilion. Built in traditional Kandyan architectural style with white multi-tiered eaves and carved wooden roof brackets, the island is linked to the mainland shore by a narrow walkway. Popular local folklore insists that a secret underground brick tunnel connects the island pavilion directly to the inner chambers of the Royal Palace, though archaeological excavations have found no evidence of such a tunnel, pointing instead to drainage culverts.

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Dr Senarath CCF•1920 rep

Following British annexation in 1815, colonial administrators converted the royal pavilion into an ammunition storage magazine before landscaping it into a public park.

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Guru Gunadasa Pavilion•945 rep

Public entry onto the central island is restricted by government security guards, but the pavilion is viewed clearly from the Walakulu perimeter walking path.

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Minoli Heritage•1850 rep

The surrounding lake waters teem with giant freshwater fish and turtles that visitors feed from the stone retaining wall.

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Sarah Field Scout•1720 rep

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