Attraction
Gangaramaya Temple
A late 19th-century Buddhist temple near Beira Lake that mixes Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian and Chinese styles and keeps a crowded museum of donated treasures.
Independence Memorial Hall
The national monument to Sri Lankan independence, built in 1949 to 1953 and modelled on the royal audience hall of the Kandyan kings.
At a glance
- Type
- National monument
- Area
- Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Good to know
- Independence Memorial Museum
- Open grounds
Why we recommend it
Independence Memorial Hall is the ceremonial heart of modern Sri Lanka. It stands in Independence Square, formerly Torrington Square, in the leafy Cinnamon Gardens district, and it was built to commemorate the island's independence from British rule. Work began on 4 February 1949 and the hall was completed in 1953.
The design was produced by a group of eight architects led by Tom Neville Wynne-Jones, who based it on the Magul Maduwa, the royal audience hall of the Kingdom of Kandy. The choice tied the new state's main monument to the island's last independent kingdom rather than to colonial models. A statue of D. S. Senanayake, the country's first prime minister, stands at the head of the monument, and the building also houses the Independence Memorial Museum.
The site is at its best in the early morning or late afternoon, when the light is softer and the stone is easier to photograph. It is an official monument, so dress modestly and treat it with respect, particularly if a ceremony is taking place. A visit to the hall and its surroundings takes 30 to 45 minutes, a little longer if you go into the Independence Memorial Museum inside the building.
The square is also a good place to see how Colombo reuses its colonial buildings. Arcade Independence Square, just next door, occupies the buildings of an asylum completed in 1889, renovated by the Urban Development Authority and opened in 2014 with more than 40 shops and services and the Empire Cineplex, run by Ceylon Theatres and described as Sri Lanka's first boutique cinema. The asylum was planned under Governor William Gregory from 1875, and its patients were moved to a larger hospital at Angoda by 1926. It makes an easy stop for a drink or a meal after your visit.
From Independence Square it is a short tuk-tuk ride north to the National Museum and Viharamahadevi Park, which together make a full morning in Cinnamon Gardens. If you have read about the Kandyan throne in the National Museum, seeing the Kandyan-inspired hall the same day helps make sense of how the new nation chose to present itself.
Independence Memorial Hall FAQs
When was Independence Memorial Hall built?
Construction began on 4 February 1949 and the hall was completed in 1953.
Who designed it?
A group of eight architects led by Tom Neville Wynne-Jones.
What inspired the design?
The Magul Maduwa, the royal audience hall of the Kingdom of Kandy.
Is there a museum?
Yes. The building houses the Independence Memorial Museum.
Whose statue stands at the monument?
D. S. Senanayake, Sri Lanka's first prime minister.
Where is it?
In Independence Square, formerly Torrington Square, in Cinnamon Gardens.
How long should I allow?
About 30 to 45 minutes for the hall and its grounds.
What is nearby?
Arcade Independence Square, the National Museum and Viharamahadevi Park.