Sigiriya – The Lion Rock of Sri Lanka

A massive column of rock juts out from the green tropical forest deep in the heart of Sri Lanka. It stands 660 feet tall and is decorated with frescoes, graffiti, and landscaped gardens. The rock is known as Sigiriya (see-gee-REE-yah) and has a significant cultural history on the island.

It was built over 1,500 years ago as a stronghold for a rogue king, and today the Sigiriya complex is one of the earliest preserved examples of ancient urban planning. The rock was ultimately unable to save its king, but it was successful in preserving ancient Sinhalese culture.

Location

Sri Lanka is a small island about the size of West Virginia off the southeastern coast of India (or a tad smaller than Austria or Scotland for European readers).

It is dubbed “the Pearl of the Indian Ocean” in honor of the island’s natural beauty, people, and even its shape.

The column of rock is located in the Matale District of the Central Province (map) and is somewhat central to the country. Historians believe the region has been inhabited since the third century BCE, making it a historical and archaeological site in Sri Lanka.

The rock is known as Sīhāgiri, which means “Lion Rock,” in reference to the massive animal carved from stone that greeted visitors at the entrance.

From 477 to 495 CE, when Sri Lanka was ruled by King Kashyapa, the site served as a temporary capital.

The Reign of Kashyapa

King Dhatusena ruled over Sri Lanka in 476 CE. Kashyapa, one of his illegitimate sons, desired the throne but was aware that his full-blood brother Moggallana was next in line. Kashyapa plotted with the army commander to overthrow Dhatusena, determined to stake his claim.

Kashyapa, according to Lore, was cruel to his father, walling him up while he was still alive. However, the message was clear, and Moggallana fled to Southern India to avoid a similar fate. With his father and brother absent, Kashyapa crowned himself king in 477 CE.

One of his first orders of business was to move the royal seat from the traditional capital of Anuradhapura to Sigiriya. It was ambitious and most likely motivated by fear; King Kashyapa had assassinated the king and driven away the rightful heir to the throne.

In the interest of self-preservation, King Kashyapa began construction on his stone fortress right away.

Sigiriya: The Lion Rock

King Kashyapa chose Sigiriya because he believed it would provide a strategic advantage to his forces if attacked.

Its elevated position aided the defensive stronghold by providing fantastic 360-degree views. Plans for a city quickly materialized, and within a few years, the Sigiriya complex had become a bustling center for the new King.

The enormous lion that greeted visitors halfway up the rock on a small plateau gave the igneous rock its name. A lion carved from rock served as a gateway to Sigiriya, both to welcome visitors and to warn enemies.

Sigiriya was both a palace and a fortress; the overall complex had five gates and measured slightly less than two miles (3 km) wide by slightly more than a half-mile long (1 km).

The site layout included a citadel, an upper palace on top of the rock, and lower palaces on the ground level.

The King also built lavish gardens throughout the complex, and a moat with ramparts surrounded it for protection.

The top of the rock was home to beautiful landscaped gardens and the upper palace, which is now Sri Lanka’s oldest surviving palace. The upper gardens had a sophisticated irrigation system that used surface and subsurface hydraulic systems.

Cisterns carved from the rock are still in use today.

Culture of Sigiriya

The mirror wall, a brick face covered in a highly polished white plaster, and frescoes adorn the western side of the rock (pictured at left). When it was first built, the wall was said to be capable of producing reflections.

The Mirror Wall evolved into a graffiti board, covered in verses scribbled by visitors. Some of the messages, known as “Sigiri Graffiti,” date back to the 8th century CE.

The tradition of visitor additions compelled officials to “close” the wall to new inscriptions. The wall is undergoing ongoing protective restoration to preserve the existing ancient graffiti.

Beautiful paintings of Sinhalese maidens performing various tasks can be found in a pocket of the Cobra Hood Cave. The maidens have been shielded from the elements in the rock’s natural cavity for millennia.

The paintings are thought to be more than 1,500 years old, and while the true significance is unknown, there are several theories. Some believe the maidens perform religious rituals, while others believe the images immortalize the king’s many wives.

Gardens

The gardens at Sigiriya were one of the most stunning features, with three distinct components: the water gardens, the cave and boulder gardens, and the terraced gardens.

The water gardens were located in the western part of the Sigiriya complex and were divided into three sections. The first was a large plot surrounded by water, with four channels connecting it to the main complex.

The second path was flanked by two long, narrow pools filled with water from nearby streams. An underground aqueduct system supplied water to the circular limestone fountains. Built to last, the Sinhalese fountains still put on a show, especially during the rainy season.

The second garden included four man-made islands on either side of the narrow pools, as well as small ponds. Two of the islets were home to ornate palaces used as guest quarters for visiting dignitaries.

The third water garden is located just east of the second and is easily identified by the octagonal pool with a citadel on the northeastern corner.

Visitors to Sigiriya walk through the boulder gardens on their way to the rock-top palace. The boulder gardens, located just west of Sigiriya and geographically separating the rock from the western water gardens, had decorative pavilions built on each rock.

The terraced gardens were arguably more impressive than the water and boulder gardens. The gentle natural incline at the base of the Sigiriya was terraced and planted.

The terraced gardens are divided by a limestone staircase that leads visitors to a covered path that eventually leads to the main lion gate.

The gardens featured symmetrical design elements and were linked to the outer moats on the west and the man-made lake (“Sigiriya Tank”) on the southeast. In addition, an intricate underground conduit network connected the various pools to the lake.

Sigiriya’s landscaped gardens are the oldest in Asia and among the oldest in the world.

Legacy

The complex is now considered one of the best-preserved examples of ancient urban planning. The gardens are Asia’s oldest surviving structures. Sigiriya is the most visited historic site in Sri Lanka and one of the country’s only seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Sri Lanka proudly refers to the ancient city as “the Eighth Wonder of the World,” and given that advanced irrigation systems continue to supply water to the landscaped gardens over 1,500 years later, it has the credentials to be considered.

Many of the facts we know about Sigiriya are educated guesses based on archaeological dig results, rough translations, known historic events, and sometimes just lore. For example, we don’t know whether Kashyapa started building Sigiriya or simply finished his father’s work.

We don’t know if Sigiriya was a fortified stronghold, a place of meditation and worship, or a playboy king’s pleasure palace.

We do know Kashyapa overthrew Dhatusena, completed and later occupied Sigiriya, and died in battle at the site.

King Kashyapa was a minor figure in Sri Lankan history, but the rock palace he built remains a testament to the brilliance of early Sinhalese engineering and design. While Europe was suffering from a cultural void during the Dark Ages, Sri Lanka was thriving.

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