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Last King’s cell of desolation
By Ryhanna Salie
 Rajasinghe, last king of Kandy (1798 to 1815) surrendered to Sir Robert
Brownrigg, the British Governor for the coastal areas of Ceylon on February 18,
1815. After the British invasion of the hill country, the King was brought to
Colombo and imprisoned in this cell within the palace near the south gateway to
Galle in Colombo Fort. The entire island was ceded to the British in March 1815.
Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe, the last king of Sri Lanka was imprisoned in a cell in
Fort. The monument can be seen in Fort even today. It is preserved by the
Department of Archaeology. However, the Director General of the Department of
Archaeology, Prof. Senarath Dissanayake says there is a debate as to whether the
monument is the original or a replica. However, there are no other Sri Wickrema
Rajasinghe sites in Colombo. The Department of Archaeology maintains the
monument by waterproofing and painting every year. Approximately 25 tourists
visit the monument per day and many school children also visit the monument. The
public cannot go inside the cell and they can only view it from outside.
This is one of the Colombo’s least known landmarks – many Sri Lankans themselves
do not know that such a monument exists in Colombo. It is in fact Inside the
Ceylinco Group Headquarters land, which makes it even more obscure. It is easy
to miss if you do not know where to look. In addition to the cell itself, the
structure contains paintings of the King and his Queen.
Rajasinghe, last king of Kandy (1798 to 1815) surrendered to Sir Robert
Brownrigg, the British Governor for the coastal areas of Ceylon on February 18,
1815. After the British invasion of the hill country, the King was brought to
Colombo and imprisoned in this cell within the palace near the south gateway to
Galle in Colombo Fort. The entire island was ceded to the British in March 1815.
 Later, the Ex King, His Queen and the others were taken to the Ship H.M.S
Cornwallis under the supervision of Capt. O. Brine which Departed to Vellore in
Madras (now Chennai) on January 24, 1816. Rajasinghe lived as a Prisoner of war
until his death on 30th January 1832 in Vellore.
Rajasinghe earned a reputation as a “tyrant” king especially after the execution
of Ehelepola Kumarihamy and her children by cruel methods. This was the story of
the recent Sinhala movie “Ehelepola Kumarihamy”.
King Rajasinghe built the Pattirippuwa (octagon) at the Sri Dalada Maligawa. His
other major achievement was commissioning the construction of the artificial
Kandy Lake which is an essential part of Kandy now. His royal standard is also
part of the current national flag.
Rajasinghe was originally from India, previously known as Prince Kannasamy in
Madurai. The last Sinhalese King of Kandy, Weera Parakrama Narendra Sinha, who
built the Sri Dalada Maligawa, married two princesses from Madurai. When he died
without having any children of his own, the kingdom passed to his brother-in-law
Sri Vijaya Rajasinghe.
When this king died, power was vested in his own brother-in-law, also from the
Madurai royal family. That king - Kirti Sri Rajasinghe - passed power to his
brother, Rajadhi Rajasinghe. King Rajadhi Rajasinghe also died without naming a
successor, so first minister Pilimatalava suggested the late king’s nephew, who
came to be known as Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe. He was about 18 when he became
king. The last king of Sri Lanka, he ruled for 17 turbulent years.
Going on the assumption that this is an original structure, it has survived
intact for almost 200 years even in the midst of change in Colombo. It is now
dwarfed by the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre and the Bank of Ceylon
Tower which soar above it, but it is rather interesting to find a little bit of
history amidst all the hustle and bustle. The fact that it is close to another
vestige of Colonial legacy- the Dutch Hospital (which is now in another
incarnation as an upmarket shopping and dining area) – also adds a bit of colour
to the whole saga.
Pictures by Nirosh Pilapita and Thushara Fernando
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