Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

 

Sigiriya is a Rock Fortress which is situated forty miles north of  Matale in the Central Province.  It is also called the Lion Rock. This is an ancient rock fortress which is one of Sri Lankans major tourists attractions. Sri Lanka is a very beautiful country and it has so much to offer for the tourists. Tourism is one of the major contributors to the economy of Sri Lanka. It is an island paradise unlike any other. Sri Lankan hospitality is well known to visitors and also known around the world. Sri Lanka named “Paradise in the Indian Ocean”. The beauty and the hospitality is so overwhelming, many choose to come back as a result. Sri Lanka has a rich history of  ancient rulers, the Kings. Sigiriya is one good place for this. 

This Rock Fortress is more than 600 feet in height. Climbing this rock is a hike that one will never forget. Today Sigiriya is named World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is a well preserved site for ancient urban planning. 

The  story of Sigiriya goes like this: In the 5th century King Dhatusena had two sons. Moggallana and Kashyapa. In the traditional sense the eldest Moggallana of the two sons will inherit the kingdom, when the king passes. Kashyapa  realized that he will not become the king. So he planned a coup, imprisoned his brother and killed his father to take the Crown. However he was afraid of his brother's retaliation and decided to build his palace and fortress on top of the rock. This way he would have the upper hand  on vision in case of intruders. Its 600 feet high with a visibility all around. The idea was to use the boulders to attack the enemy.

Kashyapa  wanted his Palace to be a comfortable. He  made all the facilities like a swimming pool, bathrooms, theater, walkways, ponds  and all other facilities. He also made painting on the side walls on rock carvings. Frescoes that are well preserved from visitors. You cannot take photography and cannot be touched. The painting are done with plant extracts. Sri Lankan’s learn this in history lessons and in story books. This rock was very suitable for a fortress as it is tall and surrounded by then forest and water. If there is an invasion, it could be seen before it is too late. 

Sri Lanka then  “Ceylon” later got invaded by the Dutch, then the French and the British. In 1948 Sri Lanka got its Independence from the British. Sri Lanka's natural resources were used by the invaders and the true history of the country also fell victim. The rock is called the Lion Fortress as the main entrance is constructed like a Lion. You walk through the mouth of the Lion.

It is a wonder how a palace could be built on a rock at a time when there were no bulldozers or tall cranes. Today this is a well preserved ancient site. There are lots of restrictions for tourists because of this. Think about an outdoor pool and how they would have maintained it. The bricks on these structures are eroding due to weather and human traffic even with all the restrictions in place.

The climb to the rock is strenuous due to height and  strong winds. Today there are proper stairs to climb and it is very safe. There was a time you just held on to pipe and climb while the wind would gust and almost push you with force. While  up on the top there are areas that are very windy too. 

It is a fun day trip not just for the tourists but also for locals. The best part of all of this is what you see and wonder how all this is built. The King had all the luxury even then. 

One of the amazing thing to see in all ruins in Sri Lanka is Monkeys. They are everywhere and when you take pictures, it almost feels like that they are posing for it. In general these monkeys are harmless. Some of the steep areas of the climb they are among you watching what you are carrying. They see your backpack for loose food and drinks and they will snatch that from you. So keep your food hiding or inside. 

There is an art gallery with painting on the rock wall "Frescoes". Out of many there is about 13 that is left and they are fast fading away. The archeological groups are fighting to preserve this and unlike before you cannot touch and cannot take pictures. 

Climbing the rock is very challenging. First a long walk from the parking then a series of stairs. To see the painting is a stair spiral fairly steep. Then you would come down to go  up to the top. The Wind going up is very strong during certain times and there are proper stairs now. There was a time you would climb simply holding a pipe all along and the wind would almost blow you away. It is safe now.

Along the way you will see will monkeys. They are so cute and adorable. If you have food or drinks that is visible with you, they will grab them and or will become violent and you ou may get attacked. Which is rare. They snatched a drink from someone’s backpack shocking that person. Don’t  show food and you will be ok. You can take a lot of pictures with monkeys in the close vicinity and they pose well like they are so used to. 

Sri Lankan Monkey

When you are done with all this and come down you will see vendors of various kind. There was a snake charmer during the time we there. I got to take pictures with a python. I have never touched a snake before and this seemed a good moment to do it. 

Street performers  often can be seen close attractions.  The snake charmers are normally present at any of the destinations.  You often see them with pythons and cobras.  You can take pictures with python for a fee which can be negotiated. Cobras are only used to charm and they will dance to the music.  

Pyton

Cobra

Photo shoot with snakes seems to be a touristic thing to do. If you fear snakes like me, this was a good time to overcome that.  There is a fee to pay and that can vary from person to person. It can be negotiated.

There are souvenir shops along the way. It’s get very hot and they sell water and other little snacks too. Did you know the tourists ticket price is about six times what the locals pay.