Sigirya

Sigirya the rock fortress of King Kashyapa continues to attract the local and foreign tourists to date for this fortress is a truly amazing feet of engineering. It stands around 40 miles to the East of Matale.

It was the fear of his younger brother Moggollana, that made King Kashyapa to find protection in this rock which he transformed into a fortress during his reign in the 5th century A.D. almost square shaped rock on which the fortress was built rises to a height of around 400 The King’s palace stood on top of it in all its majesty with ponds and well-set gardens around. The King meant it to be a fortress but it was a work of art, too. The world famous frescoes of Sigiriya have attracted tourists from thousands of miles away. These frescoes are preserved by the Archeological Department. The mirror wall which carries various graffiti is unique. Even the plan of the 1 palace and the garden around conformed to an artistic design.

The Sri Lankan craftsmen of the time would have been real masters of sculpture, building and painting and the labour involved in the whole work of construction is unimaginable. On the rock there had been huge boulder-like stones in readiness to come down rolling, in case the enemy attacked from the ground below the rock. There is enough evidence that King Kashyapa lived in fear of his younger brother. Moggollana who had been hiding in India came back with a huge army and conquered him. King Kashapa despite all attempts to ensure his safety had to face the repercussions of his deeds in less than two decades. Since his death no one took occupation of his rock fortress and it began its downfall and ruin.

Today Sigiriya is a haven for tourists. Not only the rock but also its setting provides a good environment to the tourist. The recent excavations done have uncovered various technical and aesthetic features the ancient designers of Sigiriya had included in their original plan for the fortress. These features include a very effective of water transport etc. The Sigiriya rock fortress is yet another feat of the ancient Sinhalese that prove their immense engineering and artistic, beyond all doubt.