Sigiriya, or the Lion Rock, is synonymous with Sri Lanka’s Tourism. Rightfully so, the incredible structure tests one’s endurance to climb its 1200 odd steps leading up the straight rockface and intrigues the visitor with questions like who, how, why, when and what of this unique structure. The attraction combines nature, culture, architecture, antiquity, technology, art and adventure.

The mega granite block stood out amidst the thick jungle as I looked from the calm waters of the infinity pool at Aliya eco-resort at Habarana. The fantastic sight strengthened my resolve to climb the top the following day. Mysterious theories that archaeologists and historians put forward have created an interest in exploring this astonishing monolith further.

My last visit to this intriguing fortress fifteen years ago was more of an adventure trek. The story of King Kashyapa, building his palace up the 660-foot-high steep, monolithic rock to stay safe from the people chasing him, had created an eagerness to climb to see the remnants of his palace at the top.

There are interesting details on the ground, too.  John, our group guide this time, is also a professor and explained the naturally created security system that included moats and fountains well. From the entry point of the complex, outermost water gardens now filled with beautiful lotus plants- were barriers to prohibit unwanted people from entering the complex. Ancient hydraulic systems were used to fill these waterbodies, and the fountains continue to be used even today. What’s impressive is the innovative technology that could completely flood the water and wash away enemies who managed to enter.

The second level of defence is fountains of various water depths. Confusing? Yes, that was the purpose. The intruder steps into the tricky pool, which is just two feet deep. The next one drowns him in its 8-foot-deep water. Psychological play there. The baffling technology, going by shreds of evidence available so far, is at least 1600 years old.

Next at the ticket collection point is a wide moat, once filled with deadly crocodiles and now covered with white lotuses. We entered through bridges here to climb through rock steps that led through narrow passages arched by huge boulders. There is a brilliant blend of natural settings combined with manmade arrangements.  Only two people can get through at a time, prohibiting armies from entering. A small number of people could efficiently be dealt with at this level!

Sigiriya was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982 and is considered for developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design that illustrates significant stages in human history. And unique testimony to a civilization.

We had arrived at phase two of the climb, at the foot of the gigantic Lion’s gate. John had made it look like a straightforward 3 phase climb. The ascent along the giant rock starts from here, through significant steps carved out of the granite. They run through two enormous paws, known popularly as Lion’s paws. Three big toes and a small toe at the rear side somewhat resemble that of a giant bird or an ancient reptile. Was it built much earlier, during the reptilian era? Sri Lanka was once known as Naga Dweepa or an Island of Reptiles. Did King Kashyapa of the 5th century further improve on the pre-existing structure? No relevant evidence has been found so far. A person standing in front of the paws can only reach the height of its toes.

Steel staircases with safety railings made further climb up the peak relatively easy. The route forked midway at the height of about 300 feet. We continued climbing towards the east side. Witnessing the famous Sigiriya frescoes on the rock’s western face would be during the return descent.  The final phase of the climb was exciting, as it offered a panoramic view of the surrounding dense jungle in Sri Lankan Island’s central region. Huge boulders supported on stone cylinders at a far edge look like the final defence system against intruders. Move the cylinders, and there goes down the avalanche of boulders, crushing all those at the bottom! Did parricidal king Kashyapa so resourceful and had an intelligent workforce to create these?  Or did King Ravana from the great Hindu epic Ramayana build this and live here many more centuries before Kashyapa- as some new researchers claim?

While climbing to the top seems like an adventure accomplished to today’s visitors, it might have been the simplest of tasks for those who built the palace up there.  They had to transport mud, bricks, tools and other building material up there—even the furniture and furnishings for the palace. Humongous hard work must have created this incredible structure 16 centuries ago. Did they have elevators for royals?

We first noticed a pyramid-like brick-and-mortar structure with its top in ruins. We passed alongside an empty granite tank as we climbed up the pyramid to the topmost, mud-filled flat level. A foot-high brick-and-mortar border along the square was probably the base for a tiny palace. A small platform within it serves now as a selfie point for those who want to flaunt their pride in reaching the summit. Many terraces around the flat top are believed to have been gardens. There are a few trees at the top. The panoramic sight at the viewpoint a few stairs down on the south side revealed the route within the complex we had traversed to get here. The rest was the green jungle, with a few buildings dotted here and there. Trying to locate Aliya resort from there was vain- naturally built structures were camouflaged under the resort’s gardens.

Further down on the east side was a pond where people sat with feet dipped into the water. John explained that the water in the granite pond never dries and doesn’t flood, too, even in heavy monsoon season. It was created by scooping out the rock from the granite monolith. That must have been hundreds of tons of stone scooping there. By now, there was no doubt about the advanced technological expertise of ancient architects of Sri Lanka, which means ‘The Revered Island’. As I dipped my feet into the water, what was amusing was the fish therapy that came as a bonus to soothe the worked-up feet.

Climbing down back to the second level seemed easy. We had to go up a spiral staircase to view Sigiriya Frescoes. Boards prohibiting photography inside were put up at different levels. The act is justified since only 19 of the supposed 500 plus painstakingly drawn frescoes remain today as an example of the art antiquity of Sri Lanka. This is the only surviving non-religious art form of Sri Lanka’s distant past.

According to art historians, frescoes were created per King Kashyapa’s vision of Alakamanda, the city of divine gods, as described in Buddhist mythology. Sigiriya rock was supposed to have been painted white and decorated with frescoes of women from his court. They were depicted as Apsaras or celestial nymphs showering flowers on earthly beings. Frescoes resemble the Gupta-style paintings at Ajanta and Ellora in India.

It’s a wonder how they painted on the rock face at the height of 100 meters above the ground. How many scaffoldings might have been arranged from the base of the rock? They have chiselled away the rock surface to create a ledge to avoid water flowing onto the frescoes. Clay and lime plaster are applied on the rock face before painting frescoes. Experts opine that red, yellow and green colour pigments were extracted from earth minerals so that they wouldn’t fade when exposed to sunlight, as in vegetable dyes. The reason for their survival till today is a testimony to the past and offering an invigorating attraction to tourists.  Sigiriya was abandoned as a royal citadel in the 6^th century and was converted into a Buddhist monastery. A British officer found it in an abandoned state a century ago.

The route back to the bus had rows of shops selling wood, paintings, puzzles, clothes and other artifacts. We purchased some beautiful art memorabilia to take back home.

Visit to Sigiriya is filled with mysteries. Some of the sites in the complex are awaiting excavation. It’ll be interesting to know what more insights these sites will reveal about this mega fortress and ancient Sri Lanka itself. Till then, it will continue to amaze visitors for its adventurous trek, panoramic natural beauty and astonishing work of early human intelligence.

Fact File:

Reaching there: Sigiriya lies close to Dambulla in Central Sri Lanka and can easily be combined into a tour to any part of the country. It’s 146 kms from Bandarnaike International Airport in the capital, Colombo and can be reached in 3 hours.

Stay: A few good hotels, resorts, and homestays are nearby. Aliya Resort and Spa by Thema collection is 14 kms away from Sigiriya. Among its 96 total rooms are Deluxe rooms, Wooden chalets, and Deluxe Attic rooms spread over a 32-acre expanse. The ‘Elephant’ themed resort has adopted sustainable practices and has a rural life museum depicting local farmers’ lifestyles. Ayurveda Spa at Aliya is the right place to get a massage before or after the trek to Sigiriya.

The Trek: Climbing to the top of Sigiriya Rock can be considered a mild adventure. Guide John said to have taken a senior citizen group there recently. Relaxing between three levels and keeping a steady pace helps. Wearing comfortable footwear and carrying a bottle of water is advisable.

 

 

 

Written by: Madhura Katti

 

 

 

 

 

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