Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Saturday, 9 November 2013 07:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
skies with cotton clouds floating above.
At that moment, I swear I could have just touched the sky, if I only tried enough.
It was 10 odd in the morning and there I was mentally ticking off yet another point in my checklist of things to do: Climb Sigiriya.
It might come as a surprise for most, but yes, in all of my 24 years of existence, I hadn’t climbed Sigiriya until last week. The closest I came to Sigiriya was seeing it beyond a lake full of lotus last year while on work.
I remember thinking how majestic it looked, commanding the skies as it stood out from the rest with only the pale blue to keep it company. And now, at the top, it was breathtaking.
Sigiriya has it all
Imagine living every day of your life knowing you will wake up to all that magnificence – not to mention all the luxuries and added benefits King Kasyapa would have experienced. What a lucky man!
What with his concubines supposedly numbering 500, all the wealth in the land and Sigiriya as his home – I bet every day felt fabulous as he sat in his stone throne overlooking the beauty of the surroundings.
Sigiriya has it all – bloodstained history, astonishing frescos of bare-breasted maidens, a wall of graffiti, a complex and highly advanced irrigation and architectural system and above all, its position as one of Asia’s oldest surviving landscape gardens.
The stories
There are many stories behind the great mystery of Sigiriya.
The most well-known is how Kasyapa seized the throne from his father King Datusena in 477 AD; usurping the throne from the rightful heir, Moggallana, who fled to South India to raise an army. Kasyapa was said to be Datusena’s son by a non-royal consort.
Fearing an attack from Moggallana, Kasyapa moved his residence and the country’s capital from Anuradhapura to Sigiriya, where he developed it into a complex city and constructed the palace at the peak of the rock, a perfect lookout which could easily be defended.
He was defeated by Moggallana in 495. Chronicles note that Kasyapa’s armies abandoned him during the battle, mistaking a strategic advance seen by the king as a retreat, which led to the proud Kasyapa committing suicide by falling on his own sword. Moggallana is said to have returned to Anuradhapura, converting Sigiriya into a monastery complex.
Alternative stories mention King Datusena as the primary builder, with Kasyapa finishing the work; while further interpretations show the site as the work of a Buddhist community which occupied the area over 5,000 years ago, in the 3rd century BC.
Whatever it maybe, our forefathers have left a stunning piece of work for us, laced with the mystery and splendour of ancient years.
Sinha giriya
Making our way towards the rock, one cannot help but be amazed by the landscaped gardens planned years and years ago leading up to possibly one of the narrowest stairways possible, which led us to the lion’s paw area, which is thought to be the entrance to the palace.
The stone stairway that now leads thousands of travellers to the top is believed to be the stairway that took visitors of the Kasyapa era into the lion’s mouth and through its throat. This is also the reason behind the name Sigiriya, which when broken down means lion’s rock (Sinha+giriya).
While we climb on, holding onto the rails of the new stairway built in recent years, one cannot help but wonder how tiny the feet of the olden day Sri Lankans were, as the old stairs carved into the rock itself seem almost non-existent.
Sigiri maidens and mirror walls
Before the lion’s paw entrance, we pass the mirror wall, which has unfortunately been spoilt by the thousands of ignorant visitors scribbling their own names and thoughts on to it, and the graffiti wall which is just as magnificent as expected.
We were told that 500 drawings of women took up the entire space in the past of which some are believed to have been the King’s consorts and others, deities. Today, only 18 of the frescos remain intact.
Having used wet paint to draw the frescos (which meant they couldn’t make changes after the initial drawings), some of the women feature three hands or six fingers and one even has a third nipple. We were told that the women seem to be not only locals but Indians (with the pottu), African (dark skin and hair) and even eastern (given the shape of their eyes).
Right opposite the mirror wall are ancient inscriptions carved on the stone which are said to have reflected on the mirror wall when the light was just right. There is also the king’s throne overlooking the area on top as well as gardens and pools noted as part of the palace structure. One could also see the ‘balancing rock’ when you make your way up which was said to be part of the defence mechanism of the fortress where soldiers would roll it down if an enemy was in close proximity.
The climb
There are 1,200 steps to climb, 200 from the lion’s paw. It took us one-and-a-half hours to climb, enjoy the beauty, have pit-stops on the way and climb down on a Saturday morning.
Entrance tickets for locals are just Rs. 50 and the ticket office is open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. People are advised to avoid the dry season as there are major wasp attacks during the period.
Pix by Sameera Wijesinghe
