The term walauwa is derived from the Tamil word valavu, which denotes a compound or garden, and by implication, a large house with aristocratic connotations.

Walauwas vary in style, elegance and uniqueness depending upon the financial resources of the individual families and in the village or area's social structure.

Most walauwas tend to incorporate aspects of traditional pre-colonial Ceylonese architecture, as well as Dutch and later colonial influences.

A walauwa usually consisted of a cluster of buildings linked by verandahs, with an internal courtyard (medamidula), which separated the private life of the family from the headman's public duties.

There were in alphabetical order; There have been a number of other prominent, well known walauwas in the southern areas of Ceylon, outside the Kandyan Kingdom.

The older walauwas were neither tiled (roof), very large or highly ornate as the king had placed certain restrictions and laws.

Many of the walauwas beyond the jurisdiction of the king or after the fall of the Kandyan kingdom sprang up to be large and ornate, displaying architectural influences from beyond Sri Lanka and south India.

This however has changed in the years after independence with the rise of a powerful middle class based on profession and enterprise.