Sigiriya

 

 Sigiriya is one of the most important historical sites in Sri Lanka. Locals refer to is an the World's Eighth wonder. It is located near the town of Dambulla in the north Matale district of the central province of Sri Lanka. The Lion's Rock ,also known as Sigiriya or Sinhagiri, is reached by ascending 1200 steps to the Lion Rock fortress on top of Sigiriya. Today, Sigiriya Rock Fortress is one of the most well-known Archeological treasures, and in 1982,UNESCO designated it as a world heritage site under the name "Ancient city of Sigiriya." The palace and fortress complex is historically noteworthy and draws thousands of visitors each year. The fortress complex is encircled by an enormous network of walls, vast gardens, ponds, canals, lanes, and fountains as well as the ruins of wrecked place.

Lion Staircase

The primary entrance is located on the rock's northern side. All that's left of a once-massive gatehouse designed to resemble a lion crouching like a sphinx are the paws and stairway. The Sky Palace of the god-king on the summit, which served as the complex's innermost sanctum, was protected by it.  The Lion Staircase jutted out eleven meters from the rock face and was 35 meters high, 21 meters wide, and. We can clearly see how large it once was because to the remains of its enormous paws, which had fingernails that were as tall as men. Its mouth was gaping and it had eyes that were blazing, giving the impression that it was ready to eat anyone who ventured too close. It was modeled after a massive stone lion, the feet of which have remained to this day, but the rest of the body has been demolished. The palace was given the name Sigiriya after this lion. Sigiriya is derived from the word Sinhagri, which means Lion Rock.

Sigiri Frescoes And Mirror Wall

 

The frescoes made during Kasyapa's reign covered practically the entire western wall of Sigiriya. To this day, eighteen frescoes have remained. The frescoes portray naked women and are thought to be either portraits of Kasyapa's wives and concubines or religious rituals performed by priestesses.

The Mirror Wall is one of Sigiriya's most stunning features. It was once polished to the point where the king could see his reflection in it. Inscriptions and poems written by Sigiriya visitors are painted on the Mirror wall. The oldest inscriptions date back to the eighth century. Sigiriya was a tourist destination more than a thousand years ago, according to these inscriptions. Painting on the wall is now strictly forbidden.

The lion's throne Graffiti was scribbled on the surface of the Sigiriya Mirror Wall. Over 1800 pieces of prose, poetry, and criticism penned by ancient tourists are scribbled on the wall. These graffiti provide a fascinating glimpse into Sigiriya's history and the growth of Sri Lankan language over the last 800 years. The most of the graffiti is about stunning semi-naked female paintings. These inscriptions attest to the fact that this was King Kashyapa's residence from 477 to 495 AD. The females represented in the frescoes may also be ladies of the King's royal court - the ladies of the harem, according to the writings.

 

Statements of astonishment, vows of love, comments, curses, laments, diary entries, and simple statements of visit can all be found in the graffiti. Many show a high level of literacy as well as a strong respect for art and poetry written in Sinhala, Sanskrit, and Tamil. These early scribblers have left us with invaluable historical information. So far, 12 women have been identified among the 685 people identified in the paintings. Over half of the people identified themselves by name, many noted their social status, and some even mentioned where they came from in Sri Lankan towns like Weligama and Ritigala. The majority of the visitors appeared to be from society's upper crust: royalty, government leaders, professionals, and clergy. Soldiers, archers, and even metalworkers were among those there.

 

Sigiriya Lion Rock Architecture 

  This fortified garden city of the Sigiriya rock fortress is an exceptional master piece of ancient urban planning, landscape and architecture, construction technology, exceptional hydraulic engineering and management, and ancient fine art with unique harmony between nature and human imagination, and all of these living examples proved that it was a Well Planned City & Palace in the 5th Century AD. The Sigiriya rock castle, often known as a Living Museum, is one of Asia's best-preserved ancient urban structures from the first millennium.

The Gardens are a beautiful place to visit 

 The gardens, which comprised of three unique components: the water gardens, the cave and boulder gardens, and the terraced gardens, were one of the most beautiful elements of Sigiriya. The Sigiriya water gardens were located in the western side of the complex and were separated into three divisions. The first was a big area surrounded by water with four channels connecting it to the main complex. The second walkway was flanked by two long, narrow ponds filled with water from adjacent streams. A subterranean aqueduct system supplied water to the circular limestone fountains. The Sinhalese fountains, which were built to survive, still put up a spectacular show today, especially during the rainy season.

Small ponds with four man-made islands on either side of the narrow pools were also featured in the second garden. Ornate palaces on two of the islets served as guest quarters for visiting dignitaries. The third water garden is located just east of the second and is clearly identified by the octagonal pool with a fortification on the northeastern corner. On their way to the rock-top castle, visitors to Sigiriya trek through the meandering paths of the boulder gardens. The boulder gardens, located directly west of Sigiriya and geographically separating the rock from the western water gardens, had ornate pavilions built on each rock.

The terraced gardens, as stunning as the water and boulder gardens were, were undoubtedly the most impressive. The moderate natural inclination at the base of the Sigiriya was terraced and cultivated. The tiered gardens are divided by a limestone staircase that leads to a covered path that leads to the great lion gate. The gardens, which were connected to the outer moats on the west and the man-made lake ("Sigiriya Tank") on the southeast, were known for their symmetrical design. In addition, a complex underground conduit network interconnected the pools and connected them to the lake. Sigiriya's landscaped gardens are among the oldest in Asia and among the oldest in the world.