Sigiriya - The Lions Rock

Sigiriya doubles up as a palace and a fortress, located near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province. As per history, in 477 CE, Kashyapa, the king’s son by a non-royal consort, seized the throne from the reigning King Dhatusena, following a coup. The rightful heir, Moggallana, fearing for his life fled to India where he started raising an army to make a comeback. Knowing the inevitable return of Mogallana, Kashyapa is said to have built this fortress palace on the summit of Sigiriya. Mogallana finally returned and declared war. During the battle Kashyapa's was killed and a victorious Mogallana abandoned Sigiriya and returned back to his fathers capital city Anuradhapura. Sigiriya then became a Buddhist monastery lasting until the 13th or 14th century. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock there is a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The name of this place is derived from this structure — the Lion Rock. There was a sculpted lion's head above the legs but the head collapsed some years back.

One of the more prominent Frescoes in Sigiriya

Sigiriya ranks amongst the most prominent historical sites in Lanka other than Anuradhapura and Pollonaruwa. A UNESCO listed World Heritage Site, it is one of the best maintained sites of ancient urban planning. A good attraction for those interested in seeing frescoes; it is nowhere close to the famous AJANTA cave paintings in India. The tour (more so a 3 hour trek) in the hot humid climate can sap your energy, but your travails actually start when your guide drops you at the ticket counter.

For a casual tourist the Entry fee of 30$ is exorbitant (you get a discount if you are from a SAARC country though) and at the end of the tour you may not be sure if you really had your money’s worth, probably you might as well save your money and visit the other 2 sites for a better view of history and architecture.

Be sure to put your trekking shoes on for a steep climb and carry plenty of water, sunscreen and a towel.  The journey will most likely leave you  dehydrated by the time it ends.

The Giant Squirrel - now the National Animal of the Country

The biggest attraction in Sigiriya are the frescoes of numerous ladies, closely resembling the cave paintings seen in AJANTA in India. The identity of these ladies is relatively unknown, some believe they may be the Kings consorts or may be associated with religious observances. The frescoes are classified as in the Anuradhapura period, but the painting style is considered unique, the line and style of application of the paintings differing from Anuradhapura paintings.

The Mirror Wall, when it was originally constructed was so highly polished that the king could see himself when he walked alongside it. Made of brick masonry and covered in highly polished white plaster, it has verses dating from as early as the 8th century. 

The Mirror Wall

The Gardens of Sigiriya are among the oldest landscaped gardens in the world. You can observe three categories of gardens: water gardens, cave and boulder gardens, and terraced gardens. The water gardens are seen in the central section of the western precinct. Some of the gardens are built on ancient architectural principles (char bagh) which is one of the oldest surviving models of this form. Some have deep pools with fountains fed by shallow streams. Underground water conduits supply water to some of these fountains.

The Cobra Rock - now a part of the Boulder Gardens

Terraced gardens

The Lions Paw

The gardens are built symmetrically on an east-west axis and the pools are interlinked using an underground conduit network fed by the lake, connected to the moats.  The boulder gardens have large boulders linked by winding pathways. The gardens stretch from the northern slopes to the southern slopes of the hills at the foot of rock. Most of these boulders had a building or pavilion upon them used as a defense line against enemy attacks. The terraced gardens are formed from the natural hill at the base of the rock. A series of terraces rises from the pathways of the boulder garden to the staircases on the rock. These have been created by the construction of brick walls

Water Gardens

The West side of the Palace has a Park for Royals containing water-retaining structures, sophisticated hydraulic systems, some of which are working even today. The Southern end contains a man-made reservoir. Five gates were placed at entrances. The more elaborate western gate is thought to have been reserved for the royals

You may find plenty of shops on the outskirts selling souvenirs and crafts. The charges are high and haggling is necessary, or you may probably end up being taken for a ride