The Town Hall of Kandy is the headquarters of the Kandy Municipal Council and the office of the Mayor of Kandy. The building known as the Dunuwille Walawwe was acquired by the Municipal Council in 1870 at a court sanctioned auction, conducted to settle the “Death Duty” (Estate Tax) on the estate of Deputy Queen's Advocate, James Alexander Dunuwille (1821–1866). The building was purchased for approximately £480.