Sigiriya: the beautiful extravagance created by a Sri Lankan playboy king
Sri Lanka is an island country slightly larger than the state of Paraiba and is located in southern India. Although small, it is highly populated, with about 22 million people, the equivalent of Minas Gerais, the second largest state in Brazil.
Human occupation in Sri Lanka dates back over 125, 000 years of history, and there you can find incredible records of our ancestors. One such place is called Sigiriya, locally known as "the 8th wonder of the world." And no wonder: it is a citadel built in 476 AD to house the seat of a rather unscrupulous reign.
Sigiriya, the “Lion Rock”, rises 660 meters above the rest of the landscape and houses, in addition to the ruins of the royal palace, a huge collection of frescoes, graffiti and landscaped gardens. These buildings are recognized as one of the most preserved urban design in the ancient world.
The envious king
Sigiriya is located in the Matale district, almost in the center of the country, and historians believe that this region was already populated by humans in the 3rd century BC. Dathusena was the first king of the Sri Lankan Moriyan dynasty, ruling from 455 to 473. He had two sons: Moggallana and Kashyapa, the latter being illegitimate, but had always dreamed of the throne.
Determining to take over the kingdom, Kashyapa teamed up with General Migara to overthrow his father. This only happened when Migara revolted with the king when he had his own sister, who was married to the general, killed. Dathusena was arrested, and Moggallana, the legitimate heir, fled to India in fear of his stepbrother.
This paved the way for Kashyapa to paint and embroider in Sri Lanka. He was very hard on his arrested father and had no mercy for him, so much so that he killed him when he decided to transfer the kingdom capital from Anuradapura to Sigiriya in 477 AD.
The Lion's Rock
The idea of building a palace on Lion Rock gave Kashyapa a sense of security. As the site would be high, the arrival of any enemy could be quickly seen from above. So one of his first orders was to design and erect the citadel of Sigiriya.
The rock gained its name after the king had a huge lion carved in one of the fortress entrances. Today, only the animal's paws have survived the time, but its magnitude can already be imagined. The citadel had four other gates and was 3 km long and 1 km wide.
Kashyapa also ordered the construction of beautiful gardens throughout the complex, and surrounded the entire region with a moat that should give extra security to the locals. Already on the rock, an incredible system of cisterns still works today, storing water for the upper gardens.
King's women
On the western side of the rock is the Mirror Wall, which was constructed of brick with highly polished white plaster that supposedly even reflected the image of the beholder. On this side you can also see a series of frescoes that represent a little of the culture of the time, as well as several graffiti written over the following centuries.
Nowadays, the wall is closed to visitors so that new registrations are not made by tourists. A team of restorers also works to retrieve the older writings at this location.
Inside one of the caves are several drawings of Sri Lankan women dating back to the time when the housing complex was built. The significance of these images is still unclear, with some historians believing that they depict King Kashyapa's wives. Others say they would be just representations of religious rituals.
Short reign, long story
One of the most incredible attractions is certainly the king's palace, built on top of the rock. It looks like a miniature city, adorned with sculptures, cisterns and magnificent gardens. The castle rises along with the mountain throughout a region surrounded by beautiful gardens and walls that guarantee safety.
Despite its grandeur, the complex did not last long: in 495 AD, Moggallana returned to Sri Lanka to claim his rightful throne. Of course the two brothers would go into a bloody fight, and legend has it that the legitimate king could only win because the elephant on which Kashyapa was mounted retreated and confused his own army, which he thought was to retreat. With the chaos formed, Moggallana killed his own brother and took the kingdom headquarters back to Anuradapura.
The complex was later taken over by Buddhist monks, who occupied it until the 14th century. Little is known about what happened in the next two centuries, but in the mid-1600s Sigiriya again served as an observation post, this time for the kingdom. from Kandy.
Rediscovery
The western world was not aware of the site until 1831, when the British major rode the island of Sri Lanka on horseback and discovered the rocky massif that had been the scene of the ancient Kashyapa reign. However, only in 1907 did the international community really show interest in the history of the site and the archaeological treasures there.
The Sri Lankan government did not start working until Sigiriya was reactivated and exploited until 1982. The complex was eventually declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and can be visited by tourists. There are 25 km by bus leaving every 30 minutes from Dambulla, the nearest town there.
Willingness to climb the 750 steps to the top of the rock is also required. Unofficial guides will be there to accompany visitors and tell legends and stories of the region, which has been forgotten for centuries on the Sri Lankan plateau. A curiosity: the band Duran Duran recorded scene from the clip “Save a Prayer” on top of Sigiriya.
Check out other photos of the place:
***
Mega is competing for the Digital Influencers Award, and you can help us be double champions! Click here to find out how. Enjoy following us on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
