The Department of National Museums officially opened the newly modernized Kandyan Royal Heritage Gallery at the National Museum in Colombo today, October 2, 2026, showcasing centuries-old royal regalia following a comprehensive two-year conservation program.

The centerpiece of the permanent exhibition includes the intricately wrought gold and silver ceremonial crown, the gold-threaded royal mantle, and the jewel-inlaid ceremonial sword associated with the final rulers of the Kingdom of Kandy. Specialists from the National Museum's conservation laboratory applied non-destructive micro-abrasive cleaning and specialized polymer consolidants to stabilize delicate gold embroidery threads and prevent oxidation on centuries-old metallic filigree work.

The newly inaugurated gallery features custom-built, anti-reflective museum display cases engineered with automated nitrogen-purged micro-climate controllers that maintain constant 50% relative humidity and a 20-degree Celsius ambient temperature. Fiber-optic illumination eliminates harmful ultraviolet and infrared exposure, preserving the rich crimson velvet fabrics and ancient gold leaf coatings for future generations.

Director General of National Museums Sanuja Kasthuriarachchi stated during the ribbon-cutting ceremony that displaying these sacred cultural treasures in international-standard archival conditions honors Sri Lanka's rich sovereign history. The exhibition features interactive digital kiosks with 3D photogrammetric scans that allow visitors to zoom in on microscopic gold-chasing details and read digitized Sinhala and English translations of historic royal land decrees (sannasas).