Sigiriya

History of Sigiriya

The story of Sigiriya is one of vision, grandeur, beauty and tragedy unparalleled in Sri Lankan history. Built 1,600 years ago, by a brilliant but tormented king, it burst briefly into pre-eminence with breathtaking architecture and art and then quickly faded away into oblivion and was soon forgotten. Few historic sites in the world have such an interesting tale to tell as that of Sigiriya.

The story of Sigiriya, Sri Lanka is the tale ofKing Kasyapa who ruled between 477 and 495AD. A troubled but visionary king; Kasyapa murdered his father by plastering him up in a wall. Rejected by his people for his crime and tormented by guilt he abandoned his magnificent capital of Anuradhapura and fled deep in the forests of central Sri Lanka. There in an area dominated by a menacing black column of rock 600 feet high he built himself a new capital resplendent with lush gardens, palaces and pavilions.

He transformed the sinister-looking black rock to appear like a huge dazzling white cloud and painted it with beautiful frescoes of semi-naked nymphs. He also build a massive gatehouse in the form of a lion to guard the entrance to the inmost sanctum of his city; the Sky Palace on top of the rock.

Historic Context

At the time the story of Sigiriya was unfolding in 477 AD, Sri Lanka had one of the most advanced and prosperous civilizations in Asia. It sat at the crossroads between Asia and West. Ships of many nations called into it ports and trade with far off lands such as Egypt, Roman and China prospered.

A number of key events took place in other parts of the world which put historic context to our story.

At about this time the Vandals sacked Rome and Europe began its slow inexorable decline into the Dark Ages. The Gupta Empirecontrolled most of northern India and the magnificent art works at the Ajanta Caves commenced. These in turn had a significant influence on paintings in Sri Lanka at Sigiriya. It was also the time that an erotic compendium known as the Kama Sutra was first complied. In China, Buddhism was taking root; and in Mexico, the city of Chichén Itzá was being founded. Most of the rest of the world lay in cultural slumber.

Inspiration for Sigiriya

Having decided to move his capital, King Kasyapa had a grand vision. He would build his city to emulate Alakamanda. In Buddhist mythology Alakamanda was the beautiful and prosperous city of the gods. It was said to exist in a faraway place at a great elevation. Its ruler was Kuvera, the god of wealth and plenty.

It is from this legend that Kasyapa gained his inspiration. He would harness the vast wealth and resources of his kingdom to recreate Alakamanda on earth. It is for this reason that Kasyapa choose a location deep in the inhospitable forests of central Sri Lanka. The only significant feature of the area was a menacing black rock which rose majestically 200 meters into the air. He, Kasyapa, would transform the rock to appear as though it were a cloud. On its summit he would build a magnificent palace and rule like a god-king.

How Sigiriya got its Name

This area in central Sri Lanka has been inhabited by humans since at least 20,000 BC. However we do not know what the place was called before the time of Kasyapa. We don't even know its name during Kasyapa's lifetime.

An inscription from the tenth year of Kasyapa's rule, found at Timbirivava, makes the reference Maharaja Kasabala Alakapaya(Kasyapa King of Alakamanda). Two inscriptions attributed to King Mahinda who ruled between 956 and 972 AD found at Vessagiriya in Anuradhapura uses the name Kasubgiri. A literal translation of this word would be Kasyapa of the Mountain. The first authenticated use of the name Sīhāgiri (meaning Lion Mountain) occurs in the Culavamsa written in the 12th century nearly 800 hundred years after Sigiriya was abandoned as the royal capital. The Culavamsa also refers to Kasyapa's palace as looking like Alakamanda. Therefore we can only say with certainty that the area was known as Sigiriya from about the 12th century AD.

The proper pronunciation of this name is see-gee-ree-yah

How to Get to Sigiriya

Sigiriya is located in north-central Sri Lanka making it ideal as a jump off point for other sites in the Cultural Triangle. It is 181 kilometers from Colombo; a drive of 3.5 hours. The tourist resort of Negambo is153 kilometers (3 hours) away. It is 98 kilometers (2 hours) from the hill capital of Kandy.

Driving: Sigiriya is 181 kms from Colombo,153 kms from Negambo and 98 kms from Kandy.
Bus: Local bus services run from major cities to Dambulla and Habarana both are 24 kms away. There are bus services from there to the site. The ride is interesting, friendly, safe but rough.
Train: There is a train service to Habarana 24 kms away. You will need to take road transport from there.
Plane: Cinnamon Air offers a flight from Colombo International Airport to Sigiriya. The flight takes approximately 30 minutes.