Rising in the heart of the Independence Square, this memorial hall serves as an open pavilion of sorts. Built to commemorate the  independence of Sri Lanka from the British rule, the hall where religious events and annual national holidays are marked. The architect of the elegant building was Tom Neville Wynne-Jones, who took inspiration from the the Magul Maduwa, the royal audience hall of  of the Kingdom of Kandy. The hall is guarded by a line of stone carved lions, with flower pots called pun-kalas in the corners. Inside its pretty 10,000 square feet you'll find lovely arrangement of stone pillars, beautifully carved with traditional Sri Lankan designs.

Inside the hall, you'll see a pair of doors. Beyond them is the Independence Memorial Museum, a gently lit, almost temple-like room that pays tribute to the many historical figures who helped guide and shape the path to independent Sri Lanka. These personalities are commemorated by a gallery of intricately carved busts. Surrounding them, in glass displays, are  weapons and telephones and diaries. There is also a room filled with delicate  palm-leaf parchments on which are inscribed the names of soldiers of the Sri Lankan civil war.

Independence Memorial Museum:

• Rs. 10 for entrance.
• Rs. 250 if you want to take pictures.

• Hours of Independence Memorial Museum: possibly open 24 hours

• Take a tuk-tuk, taxi, or a local bus.
• Drive here.

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