The National Museum of Kandy in Kandy

Kandy

Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...

, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

 is located next to the Temple of the Tooth

Temple of the Tooth

Sri Dalada Maligawa or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex which houses the Relic of the tooth of Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is...

 in part of the former Royal Palace of Kandy

Royal Palace of Kandy

The Royal Palace of Kandy in Kandy, is a the last royal residence of the Kingdom of Kandy and in Sri Lanka. The last King to reside in it was King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha until he was overthrown by the British in 1815 with the aid of Kandian chieftains...

. The primary exhibits are housed in the Palle Vahala building which was house to the King's harem

Harem

Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...

. A secondary exhibit location is found in the main palace building. Its is maintained by the Department of National Museum

Department of National Museum (Sri Lanka)

The Department of National Museum is a non-ministerial government department in Sri Lanka responsible for maintaining the National Museums. There are other museum in the country run by the Department of Archaeology and the Central Cultural Fund, Sri Lanka....

 of the central government.

The Palle Vahala was used as a depository for historic artifacts made by the Kandy Art Association which was established in 1832 and artisans of Matale

Matale

Matale is a town in the hill country of Sri Lanka, from Colombo and from Kandy. It is an area steeped in history and village living. The mayor of Matale is Hilmy Careem, as of May, 2006....

. The museum was opened to the public in 1942.

Artifacts consist of weapons, jewelry, tools and other artifacts from the Kandian era

Kingdom of Kandy

Kingdom of Kandy was an important independent monarchy of Sri Lanka, located in the central and eastern portion of the island. It was founded in late 15th century and endured until the early 19th century...

 and post British Colonial era. On the grounds of the museum is a statue of Sir

Sir

Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...

 Henry Ward

Henry George Ward

Sir Henry George Ward GCMG was an English diplomat and politician. The son of politician and, in his retirement, writer Robert Ward and his first wife Catherine Julia Maling, and the cousin of William Ward and William George Ward, he entered the diplomatic service in 1816...

 a former Governor of Ceylon

Governor of Ceylon

The British Governor of Ceylon was an official who ruled Ceylon during the British colonial period between 1798 and 1948....

, which was originally found in front of the Queen's Hotel

Queen's Hotel, Kandy

The Queen's Hotel is a 54 room British Colonial style luxury hotel, located at central hill capital Kandy in Sri Lanka. Located in the center of the city at end of the main street, this former Governor's residence is one of the oldest hotels in Sri Lanka with a history of over 160 years...

.