Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

Sigiriya is a prominent historical creation of king Kashyapa, which was constructed during the period of 477 and 495 CE. But the history says, that it was built far more years back by the late father of king Ravana. Ravana was a great king who was ruling the country with his mighty powers and knowledge above the humans, demons and gods.

The name Sigiriya means lion rock in Sinhala language which added the appropriateness to the physical image of the place. Sigiriya is an old fortress, which was built on this rock. The height of the rock has been recoded as 200 meters and the remaining ruins of the palace, fortress, arts and the ponds present the ancient proud of the country with the ancient architectural and irrigation technology in Sri Lanka. This place was named a UNESCO world heritage later.

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According to the historical records, there was one palace on the top of the rock and another one at the foot of the rock. The entrance of the rock was built with two feet of lion. Although in the present day, they mention that the feet, which were built as lion feet, are exactly not feet of a lion but feet of a Gurula, which is a bird with two heads. The given argument was investigated according to historical details and the evidence during last decades.

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The palace was decorated with fountains and frescos which are very famous due to the beauty of the art and the natural colour paint, which was used then. The beauty of the fortress was raised in the poems by visitors and they kept their ideas in the way of poems on “Katapath paura”. Now these poems are very famous literally. Frescos represent the ancient traditional way of living and dresses in Sri Lanka.

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During the rainy season, you can see water fountains dancing beautifully even today. You should walk towards the rock along the path way near the ponds and garden to reach the entrance of the rock. Then you can climb up along the stairway and visit the beautiful sceneries and the ancient ruins of the palace. When you come to the top of the rock, you will realize how important this place is for a fortress, due to the fact of well-established surrounding for getting ready for a battle. From the top of the rock it is convenient to observe the troops of enemies and attack them. According to the history the king had built a secret tunnel with the purpose of escaping in case of emergency.

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If you want to enjoy the surroundings then you can book the accommodation in a hotel in this area. Among the hotels, Sigiri village is one of the famous hotels in Sri Lanka. Since the place is located a bit far from the capital city and the airport, it is better if you plan your trip for two or three days to enjoy it well.

Around the village area you can enjoy lot of traditional herbal drinks and traditional village dishes which are unique and tasty. But if you are not a good fan of spicy food, I must say that you should avoid these dishes. But if you have chosen a hotel to stay, then they will prepare these dishes without spices or with less spices.