Sigiriya

Soaring above the surrounding plains to towering heights, the cloud-hugging rock of Sigiriya is an iconic image of Sri Lanka. The summit of this almost inaccessible rock was crowned with elegant pavilions, amid gardens and waterfalls, all perched 600ft above the surrounding jungle.  It is an arduous climb to the top, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

The creator of Sigiriya in the 5th century AD was King Kassapa, who murdered his father and seized the throne from his half-brother Mogallana, who promptly fled to India. Fearing his half-brother's return with an army, Kassapa constructed elaborate defences including broad moats, stone perimeter walls, stone catapults and strategically placed look outs.  His demise, however was met outside of his stronghold.  Riding out to meet his enemy his elephant swerved aside to avoid a hidden swamp. Kassapa' men mistook this as a retreat and abandoned him in the midst of the oncoming army. Rather than suffer at their hands, Kassapa beheaded himself with his own sword.

Bathing palace within the complex of the Royal Palace in the Terrace Garden at the summit of Sigiriya Rock

During his short reign Kassapa's creative vision led to the construction of magnificent buildings and gardens, many of which have stood the test of time.  The Water Gardens, a sort of cross between the hanging Gardens of Babylon and

water gardens of Rome, is considered by many as one of the wonders of the world.  The Terrace Garden flows down

to the Boulder Garden and then down to the Water Garden itself.  The whole complex is in a walled enclosure covering an area half the size of a football field.

The Terrace Garden.  Terraces rise one above another, each one held back with retaining walls. A brick built staircase

and limestone steps lead up through the terraces to the Sigiriya rock itself. The Sigiriya Wewa or lake at its summit

was the main source of water for the Water Gardens, supplied by an elaborate system of pipes and hydraulics which still lie buried in the ground.

The Boulder Garden consists of picturesque boulders of varying sizes linked together by winding pathways and

Looking across the Boulder Garden 

paved passages, with boulder arches and stairways.  There are intricate rock carvings on many boulders including a carved throne. The Boulder Garden was used as a monastery long before Kassapa incorporated it into his royal pleasure Garden.

The Water Garden is geometrically laid out.  The first section is comprised of four pools set in a square.  Remains of pavilions can be seen in the rectangular areas to the

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north and south of the pools. Beyond this area is the small but elaborate Fountain Garden. After almost 1500 years of disuse, all that was needed to restore the fountains to working order was to clear the water channels which feed them

The Lion's Platform.  The two enormous lions paws are all that remains of the brick-built lion that transformed the rock into a magnificent recumbent lion and gave it it's name.  There were originally steps that led up between the lions paws and into his mouth, making a breathtaking entrance.