Sigiriya - The Rock of Sri Lanka
Amazingly, we squeezed in seven different UNESCO World Heritage Sites during our two-week trip to Sri Lanka. Even as a traveler who often purposefully seeks them out, their density on this island was remarkable. Most concentrate around the royal city of Kandy. The term "Cultural Triangle" was coined to denote the popular tourist routes. The three corners of the triangle are Kandy's Temple of Sacred Tooth, the Sacred City of Anuradhapura, and the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa. All three cities are about two hours apart from one another. Right at the center of this triangle are two additional sites: the Fortress of Sigiriya and the Golden Temple of Dambulla.
Could you see Sigiriya Rock from the infinity pool of Aliya Resort & Spa?
We decided to set up our home base near Sigiriya during our visit. As the epicenter of tourist activities in Sri Lanka, there were many decent accommodations. Considering we were approaching the end of our trip, we decided to splurge a bit by staying at a proper resort and ended up at the spectacular Aliya Resort & Spa. As our car drove up, even our driver/guide, Pula, seemed excited. As we climbed up the grand stair to the reception, Sigiriya Rock came into view on a perfect axis with a large infinity pool. It was one of those "we have arrived" moments that we often looked for when staying at a nice resort. The easy, laidback service put us at ease. Ever since our pilgrimage to Adam's Peak, we had been exhausted. Honestly, we needed a good place to recharge. And how could we ask for a better view as we enjoy breakfast in the morning? Coincidentally, our friends Ivy and Vince also stayed here during their visit to the area a few months prior.
Without a doubt, Sigiriya is by far the most popular marquee attraction in all of Sri Lanka. Many foreigners often make a beeline to Sigiriya right after visiting Colombo and Galle. In fact, it was one of the few sights I recognized before my planning research for this trip. As is typically the case, the genesis of our trip was from the Australian TV show Travel Guides; the visit to Sigiriya was prominently featured in the program and is deemed a must-see for all foreign visitors. The rock fortress seems purposefully designed for intrigue and fascination. Although it might seem perfect to build a palace, it is a mammoth task logistically. After all, this is as close to a "castle in the sky" as you could get.
Beautiful heroic Sigiriya against the crisp blue sky.
According to the legend and historical records, Sigiriya was inhabited in pre-historic times. Perhaps not surprisingly, the unworldly geography of this place has been attractive to many through the millennium. It is known that Buddhist monks occupied part of Sigiriya as early as the 3rd century B.C.E. But what made Sigiriya what it is was the works of King Kashyapa I of Anuradhapura. Why this precarious location, you might ask? In the middle of the fifth century, King Kashyapa, an illegitimate child, actually ascended to the throne after the violent overthrow of his father. Fearing the reprisal from the legitimate heir, who had fled to southern India, King Kashyapa took up the residence at the much more defensible Sigiriya. Much of the ruins we see nowadays were built during his 22-year reign. Ironically, the king met his fateful end on the battlefield against the legitimate half-brother, the future King Moggallana I.
The map of Sigiriya and the UNESCO destination.
The architecture of Sigiriya Museum was the biggest surprise of the day.
Standing at over 660 feet high, Sigiriya is instantly recognizable from afar. So it was the irony that it took Pula and us thirty minutes to locate the entry to this enormous site. But to be more precise, it was the "foreigner entry" that we could not find. As mentioned in my previous post about Sri Lanka's foreign pricing, the disparity of admission price was enormous here and Sigiriya is perhaps the worst offender of it all. While the Sri Lankan national (or anyone who could pass as one) paid LKR 50, the admission charge for all foreign nationals is a whopping LKR4,500, an equivalence of $35 USD. And after speaking with Pula, he points out that they did not even bother enforcing the LKR 50 fees for the locals. Honestly, I think that could be a purposeful loophole for all local tour guides.
It was too bad the sun is not cooperating for the money shot.
The geological layers of Sigiriya.
We were blessed with a crisp blue sky. Given that, we skipped the museum and raced toward the massive rock directly. This was one of these instances where I let the bright blue sky get into my head. It would have been wise to actually visit the museum first to get understand the history and be acquainted with the various artifacts associated with the site. That said, we did walk through the exterior of the museum and I was absolutely amazed by the avant-garde architecture. It was somewhat of a blend of the ramps of Le Corbusier and the brutalism of Paul Rudolph. Luckily, we did make time for a visit at the end. Part of the museum looked like a public school basement, but parts are decked out like a world-class cultural institution. The massive architectural model definitely makes it a worthwhile visit. The museum also highlights some of the most controversial aspects of Sigiriya's historical restoration.
View back toward the garden from the top of the rock!
We got a real glimpse of Sigiriya's grand majesty as we arrived at the central causeway of the Royal Gardens. The monumental approach at the gardens drew all visitors toward the rock as if it had a magnetic and magical pull. It was easy to neglect that magnificent landscape flogging the pathway. The Royal Garden is believed to be part of the larger monastery complex. A series of water cisterns and pools is followed by the so-called "boulder garden.” There was a sense of mysticism associated with this place that is hard to describe. I visited many ceremonial places, such as the Forbidden City in Beijing or the Royal Palace of Versailles, but the approach to Sigiriya was amazing. Since Sigiriya is called the "Lion Rock,” we were marching toward the "lion's den” indeed.
Based on the episode of Travel Guides, it sounded like it was a mammoth task to summit the ancient fortress. With roughly 1,200 steps, Sigiriya may initially seem like a decent workout. Climbing Sigiriya sure seemed to be a thing of triumph for some. Surprisingly, we found the climb to be extremely pleasant and pain-free. Looking back, that might be attributed to the physical conditioning we acquired during our pilgrimage to Adam's Peak a few days prior. It was over four times as many steps as Sigiriya and about ten times more demanding. In the blink of an eye, we made it to the first stop at the rock: a series of beautifully preserved frescos on the cliffside. Little was known about these 1,500-year-old paintings. The preservation is almost miraculous, given the exposure to the elements of all these centuries and the danger of vandalism.
Fantastically dramatic staircase toward the base of the rock.
Be warned of the wasp, and I wonder whether it was to keep tourists quiet.
Dramatic walkway overlooking the surrounding landscape.
These frescos were only accessible through a set of narrow spiral staircases. It was not ideal for those with acrophobia. For a moment, Brian seemed to have difficulty mentally descending the stairs. You felt exposed and along the cliff face. The frescos are indeed beautiful, but it was also hard to contextualize them further without truly delving into the artistic history of the Anuradhapura period. Oddly enough, I really remembered all these tourists flaunting the giant "NO PHOTOGRAPHY" signs around us. It was an unfortunate sight, and we could only hope these frescos could survive the mass tourism of the 21st century.
Looking back to inspect your progress.
Narrow (and perhaps slightly disappointing) mirror wall.
Just past the frescos is a corridor known as the Mirror Wall. Apparently, King Kashyapa had his servants polished the wall with white wax during his reign. It was polished to the point that he would be able to admire himself looking at his own reflection Back in the day, the opposite wall was also covered in fantastic fresco. Based on the historical record, it was said that the polished plaster wall was so reflective that one could easily see the mirrored image of opposing fresco in the reflection. Mirror Wall also became somewhat of a graffiti wall through the millennium. In effect, it has become a fascinating record of countless visitors since ancient times. Apparently, most actually commented about the overtly sensual female fresco, which was purported based on the concubines of King Kashyapa. Not do some of these graffiti described many of the lost frescos on the other side of the walkway, it also became an invaluable resource to linguists interested in the evolution of languages in Sri Lanka.
Ceremonial garden.
The Lion's Paws.
Even though the Mirror Wall we see today is only a fraction of its former glory, it was still of a decent length. Shortly beyond the wall is the Lion's Paw Terrace. This is where the final ascend took place and a popular spot for all visitors to take a break and take in on the majesty of the giant sculpture of a set of lion's paws. Of course, the burning question we all had was, where are the rest of the lion? Unfortunately, the original lion head collapsed long ago, and there is no visual record of how it might have appeared in the past. This fueled the fascination and fantasy of any visitor, and it is fun to browse through various fanciful reconstructions on the internet.
The Lion's Paws.
Interestingly, Sri Lanka has never had lions roaming in the wild. So why the lion and the name of "Lion Rock"? The lion symbolism is derived from Buddhist teaching. The lion symbolism reminds devotees ascending the rock that Buddha was Sakya-Sinha (Lion of the Sakya clan) and that the truths he spoke of were as powerful as a lion's roar. In addition, the Mahavamsa, a fifth-century Sri Lankan epic, tells how the Indian prince Vijaya was the grandson of a lion. He traveled to the island of Sri Lanka and married Princess Kuveni. From their union, the Sinhalese race was born. In the Sinhalese tradition, the lion is the mythical ancestor of kings and a symbol of royal authority. The word Sinhal means "lions,” which may explain why the Lion Larger is the best-selling beer in Sri Lanka.
Overview of the final climb from Lion's Paws
Beware of the monkeys as they were more aggressive than they appeared.
Walking along the cliff face could be a challenge for some.
To my surprise, Brian was terrified of this particular section of incline. The freestanding staircase is just above the paw entrance. From this point, it is just one way up. The staircase and exposed ramp seemed to hang precariously along the side of the rock. Unfortunately, I had to abandon him and the soldier on the top of the rock. And I must admit that a staircase section could be a little intimidating. You do feel completely exposed. It was a near-vertical rise, and the view of the Lion's Paw Terrace could be dizzying. Fortunately, the direction of the final ascend was along the rock face, and it was much scarier to go down. Along the way, a series of notches into the rock face provides the structural supports for ancient plant walks. The final climb took only five minutes, and it was a breeze despite the occasional human traffic jam.
It was quite a beautiful climb.
Monkeys scaling the rocky cliff with ease.
The top of Sigiriya is covered with the ruined foundation of King Kashyapa's palace. Measured at just four acres, the summit was easily covered in half-hour. Although plenty of staircases and platforms to climb, it was surprisingly barren and void of historical points of interest. Aside from a large water cistern, the most interesting point might be the smooth stone slab at the highest point of the fortress. It is believed to be where the king set up his royal throne. It might also be a spot for some royal meditation. It is a magic spot, and I feel like being on top of the world.
I was so lucky to get such a beautiful view of the Kandalama Reservoir and Kaludiya Pokuna Forest.
Interestingly, some scholars are not convinced that the complex atop the rock was the palace of King Kashyapa. Prominent archaeologists, such as the former head of the Archaeological Commission of Sri Lanka, believe the ruin we see today was an immense Buddhist monastery complex. Part of the reasoning was the lack of amenities typical of that era's palace construction. It is also curious why a dramatic (and easily defensible) palace was abandoned so soon after its construction. Astonishing, the British colonial government did not rediscover the archaeological ruin of Sigiriya until the late 19th century. It is amazing to think such a prominent geological landmark somehow escaped the memory of Sinhalese through the millennium.
Ruins aside, there is little to see on the summit. The true draw was the spectacular 360-degree panoramic views. Because the development is strictly controlled around the area, views of the surrounding area are unspoiled. In particular, the views south toward the Kandalama Reservoir were particularly memorable. The beautiful mountain backdrop only added to the atmosphere and made the spot the most selfie-worthy spot in Sri Lanka. In the opposite direction is the Pidurangala Rock, a sister to Sigiriya. Although it does not have archeological ruins, Pidurangala is perhaps the most popular spot to see the majesty of Sigiriya. Indeed, most guidebooks and locals would recommend Pidurangala as the best place for sunset.
Sigirya is truly a castle in the sky.
Although we did not make time for Pidurangala on this trip, we feel extremely lucky with the weather. While it was not the crisp blue sky we had at the start of the day, it was beautiful. When I texted Ivy my pictures at the top of the rock, she was gobsmacked about the beautiful vista. When she visited a few months ago, the weather was so atrocious that she couldn't even see Pidurangala from Sigiriya. I could not imagine what a disappointment it must be for them. Of course, given that Brian did not make it to the summit, I did not brag about the beautiful view that he missed out on. While waiting for me by Lion's Paws, he had plenty of time to observe a gang of unruly toque macaques. Brian lost his love for monkeys during that one short hour.
I was so lucky to get such a beautiful view of the Kandalama Reservoir and Kaludiya Pokuna Forest.
The ruin from the Royal Garden.
So, what are my final thoughts about our visit to Sigiriya? Honestly, I felt a deep ambivalence about our experiences at Sigiriya. Even though it was a must-do for foreign visitors and an impressive sight in its own right, Sigiriya doesn't seem to be integral to the Sri Lankan culture today. After visiting sacred places like Ruwanwelisaya Stupa and Temple of the Sacred Tooth, I found Sigiriya devoid of similar national significance. We were impressed by this place but not moved. Perhaps if we had visited Sigiriya at the start of our trip, I may have had a different perspective.
