Sigiriya Rock Fortress

The spectacular rock fortress of Sigiriya, 19Km north-east of Dambulla, is one of Sri Lanka’s major attractions. In 473 AD King Dhatusena of Anuradhapura was overthrown and, so one legend goes, walled in alive by Kasyapa, his son by a palace consort. Moggallana, Dhatusena’s son by his true queen, fled to India swearing revenge, so Kasyapa, fearing an invasion, decided to build an impregnable fortress on the huge rock of Sigiriya. When the long-expected invasion finally came in 491, Kasyapa didn’t just skulk in his stronghold, but rode out at the head of his army on an elephant. In attempting to outflank his half-brother, Kasyapa took a wrong turn, became bogged in a swamp, was deserted by his troops and took his own life.
Sigiriya later became a monastic refuge but eventually fell into disrepair, and was only rediscovered by archaeologists during the British era. Describing it as merely a fortress does Sigiriya no justice. Atop the 200m high rock (377m above sea level) Kasyapa built a wet-season palace – a kind of 5th century penthouse. It is hard to imagine Sigiriya at the height of its glory.
If you would like to know more about Sigiriya, including the many points of interest on the route up the rock, try to find a copy of RH de Silva’s booklet Sigiriya, published by the Department of Archaeology in Colombo 1976.
Tickets are not sold at the entrance. So if you haven’t bought a round ticket in advance, get a ticket from the Rest House in the village. Dozens of guides hang round the entrance to the site; most expected about Rs. 500/- for the trip up and down the rock. However, on a relatively busy day – or at least when there are two or more groups visiting – a guide is hardly necessary as the commentaries given to the tour parties are generally audible.
An early or late ascent of the rock avoids the main crowds and the fierce midday heat. Allow at least two hours for the return trip, more on very busy days. Take plenty of water with you and wear a cap/hat (it’s often too windy near the summit for an umbrella). Drinks are available at stalls near the lion’s paws, but they cost about twice the usual price.
Water Gardens
The usual approach to the rock is through the western (and most elaborate) gate. This takes you through Kasyapa’s beautiful water gardens, which extend from the western foot of the rock, with royal bathing pools, little moated islands which acted as dry-season places, and trees framing the approach to the rock. The rock rises sheer and mysterious from the jungle: a switch back series of steps leads up through the boulder at its foot to the western face, then ascends it steeply.
The Cobra Hood Cave
This rocky projection earned its name because the overhanging resembles a cobra’s hood fully opened. Generally you will pass by this cave after descending the rock on your way to the south gate and the car park. Below the drip ledge is a 2nd century BC inscription which indicates that it belonged to Chief Naguli, who would have donated it to a monk. The plastered interior of the cave was once embellished with floral and animal paintings.
Frescoes – The Sigiriya Damsels
About half way up the rock a modern spiral stairway leads up from the main route to a long, sheltered gallery in the sheer rock face. Painted in this niche are a series of beautiful women similar in style to the rock paintings at Ajanta in India. These 5th century pin-ups are the only non-religious old paintings to be seen in Sri Lanka. Although there may have been as many as 500 portraits at one time, only 22 remain today – several were badly damaged by a vandal in 1967. Today security is quite tight on the approach to this section of the rock. Protected from the sun in the sheltered gallery, they remain in remarkably good condition, their colours still glowing. They’re at their best in the late afternoon light. You are not allowed to use flash photography at this site.
Mirror wall with Graffiti
Beyond the fresco gallery the pathway clings to the sheer side of the rock and is protected on the outside by a 3m-high wall. This wall was coated with a mirror-smooth glaze on which visitors of 1000 years ago felt impelled to note their impressions of the women in the gallery above. The graffiti were principally inscribed between the 7th and 11th centuries, and 685 of them have been deciphered and published in a two volume edition, Sigiri Graffiti, by Dr. S. Paranavitana. They are great interest to scholars for their evidence of the development of the Sinhalese language and script. One typical graffiti reads: The ladies who wear golden chains on their breasts beckon me. As I have seen the resplendent ladies, heaven appears to me as not good.
Lion Platform
At the northern end of the rock the narrow pathway emerges on to the large platform from which the rock derives its name – Sigiriya, the Lion Rock. In 1898 HCP Bell, the British Archaeologist responsible for an enormous amount of discovery in Ceylon, found two enormous lion paws when excavating here. At one time a gigantic brick lion sat at this end of the rock and the final ascent to the top commenced with a stairway which led between the lion’s paw and into its mouth! For a short, slight adventurous, detour here, you can clamber down to a rock-cut lily pond visible down the side of the rock to the left as you face the lion’s paws.
Today the lion has disappeared, apart from the first steps and the paws. To reach the top means clambering up across a series of grooves cut into the rock face. Fortunately there is a stout metal handrail, but vertigo suffers are strongly advised not to look down. Still sari-clad Sri Lankan women manage it, even on windy days, so it can’t be that bad. Beware, however, of the wasps which sometimes appear here.
The Summit
The top of the rock covers 1.6 hectares and at one time must have been completely covered with buildings, only the foundations of which remain today. The design of this rock-top palace, and the magnificent views it enjoys even today, make one think that Sigiriya must have been much more palace than fortress. A pond scooped out of the solid rock measures 27m by 21m. It looks for all the world like a modern swimming pool, although it may have been used merely for water storage.
A smooth slab of flat stone, often referred to as the king’s stone throne, faces the rising sun. You can sit here and gaze across the surrounding jungle as Kasyapa probably did 1500 years ago.
Mapagala Complex
There is evidence these large rocks were once part of Sigiriya’s outer defensive network.