Sigiriya The lion Mountain
Sigiriya, in fact, should have been classed as one of the Wonders of
the Ancient World, long ago, and there is now a proposal to name it as the
Eighth Wonder of the world. Perhaps, it is better late than never!
Sri Lanka's ancient architectural tradition is well portrayed at
Sigiriya, the best preserved city centre in Asia from the first millennium,
with its combination of buildings and gardens with their trees, pathways, water
gardens, the fusion of symmetrical and asymmetrical elements, use of varying
levels and of axial and radial planning. Sophisticated city planning was at the
heart of Sigiriya, this royal citadel of ancient fame from the days of Sri
Lanka's memorable past.
The Sigiri Rock
The most significant feature of the Rock would have been the Lion
staircase leading to the palace garden on the summit. Based on the ideas
described in some of the graffiti, this Lion staircase could be visualised as a
gigantic figure towering majestically against the granite cliff, facing north,
bright coloured, and awe-inspiring. Through the open mouth of the Lion had led
the covered staircase built of bricks and timber and a tiled roof. All that
remains now are the two colossal paws and a mass of brick masonry that surround
the ancient limestone steps and the cuts and groves on the rock face give an
idea of the size and shape of the lion figure.
Though traces of plaster and pigments occur all over this area, there are
only two pockets of paintings surviving in the depressions of the rock face,
about a 100 meters above the ground level. These paintings represent the
earliest surviving examples of a Sri Lanka school of classical realism, already
fully evolved by the 5
th century, when these paintings had been
made. Earlier the Sigiri style had been considered as belonging to the Central
Indian school of Ajanta, but later considered as specifically different from
the Ajanta paintings. The ladies depicted in the paintings have been variously
identified as Apsaras (heavenly maidens), as ladies of Kasyapa’s court and
as Lightening Princess and Cloud Damsels.
There are also remains of paintings in some of the caves at the foot of
the rock. Of special significance is the painting on the roof of the Cobra Hood
Cave. The cave with its unique shape dates from the pre-christian era. The
painting combines geometrical shapes and motifs with a free and complex
rendering of characteristic volute or whorl motifs. It is nothing less than a
masterpiece of expressionist painting.
Gardens in the western Precinct
The gateway to the western precinct lies across the inner moat. It had an
elaborate gate-house made of timber and brick with a tiled roof. The moat is
perfectly aligned with a mountain peak in the distance
Only the southern side of the garden has been excavated, leaving the
identical northern half for the archaeologist of the future. In the entire
Sigiri-Bim, over 200 village tanks and rural sites have been investigated.
The water gardens of the western precinct are symmetrically planned,
while the boulder garden at a higher level is asymmetrically planned. The water
garden displays one of the worlds most sophisticated hydraulic technologies,
dating from the Early Historic Period.
This shows an interconnection of macro- and micro-hydraulics to provide
for domestic horticultural and agricultural needs, surface drainage and erosion
control, ornamental and recreational water courses and retaining structures and
also cooling systems.
The Macro system consisted of the Sigiri Maha weva, the manmade lake with a
12 km dam, running south from the base of the rock, a series of moats, two on
the west and one on the east fed from the lake. At micro level are, the water
control and the water retaining systems at the summit of the rock and at
various levels with horizontal and vertical drains cut in to the rock and
underground conduits made of cylindrical terracotta pipes.
Water Gardens
The miniature water garden just inside the inner wall of the western
precinct, consists of water pavilions, pools, cisterns, courtyards, conduits
and water courses. The pebbled or marbled water-surrounds covered by shallow
slowly moving water would have served as cooling devices with an aesthetic
appeal with visual and sound effects, which could be visualised by a visitor
who could spend a little time.
The largest water garden has a central island surrounded by water and
linked to the main precinct by cardinally-oriented causways. This was created 5
centuries before those at Angkor in Cambodia or Mughal gardens in India. The
central island would have been occupied by a large pavilion.
The water is in four L-shaped pools, connected by underground water
conduits at varying depths, to provide different water levels. The pool on the
south-west, is divided into a large bathing pool, with a corbelled tunnel and
steps leading down into it. The other pool is smaller with a central boulder on
which was a brick-built pavilion.
The fountain garden is a narrow precinct on two levels. Western half has
two long and deep pools, with shallow serpentine streams draining into the
pools. These had been paved with marble slabs. These streams display the
fountains, which have been made from circular limestone plates with symmetrical
perforations, which are fed by underground water conduits and operate by
gravity and pressure. There are two shallow limestone cisterns which would have
served as storage and pressure chambers for the fountains. These fountains are
still active during the rainy season from November to January.
On either side of the fountains are four large moated islands , oriented
north-south, cutting across the central axis of the water garden. This too
shows the symmetrical repetition. The flattened surfaces of the islands were
meant for the Summer Palaces or ‘water pavilions’. Access to the
pavilions were across bridges cut into the surface rock.
The Octagonal pond is at a point where the water garden and the boulder
garden meet, a still higher level from the rest of the water garden. It is at
the base of a towering boulder. There is a raised podium and a drip ledge,
which would have formed the bathing pavilion . The pond is surrounded by a wide
terrace also octagonal.
Boulder Gardens
The miniature water garden just inside the inner wall of the western
precinct, consists of water pavilions, pools, cisterns, courtyards, conduits
and water courses. The pebbled or marbled water-surrounds covered by shallow
slowly moving water would have served as cooling devices with an aesthetic
appeal with visual and sound effects, which could be visualised by a visitor
who could spend a little time.
The largest water garden has a central island surrounded by water and
linked to the main precinct by cardinally-oriented causways. This was created 5
centuries before those at Angkor in Cambodia or Mughal gardens in India. The
central island would have been occupied by a large pavilion.
The water is in four L-shaped pools, connected by underground water
conduits at varying depths, to provide different water levels. The pool on the
south-west, is divided into a large bathing pool, with a corbelled tunnel and
steps leading down into it. The other pool is smaller with a central boulder on
which was a brick-built pavilion.
The fountain garden is a narrow precinct on two levels. Western half has
two long and deep pools, with shallow serpentine streams draining into the
pools. These had been paved with marble slabs. These streams display the
fountains, which have been made from circular limestone plates with symmetrical
perforations, which are fed by underground water conduits and operate by
gravity and pressure. There are two shallow limestone cisterns which would have
served as storage and pressure chambers for the fountains. These fountains are
still active during the rainy season from November to January.
On either side of the fountains are four large moated islands , oriented
north-south, cutting across the central axis of the water garden. This too
shows the symmetrical repetition. The flattened surfaces of the islands were
meant for the Summer Palaces or ‘water pavilions’. Access to the
pavilions were across bridges cut into the surface rock.
The Octagonal pond is at a point where the water garden and the boulder
garden meet, a still higher level from the rest of the water garden. It is at
the base of a towering boulder. There is a raised podium and a drip ledge,
which would have formed the bathing pavilion . The pond is surrounded by a wide
terrace also octagonal.
Terrace Gardens
The Terrace Garden at the base of the rock is fashioned out of the
natural hill , made with rubbled retaining walls, each terrace running in a
concentric circle around the rock, each rising above the other.
The Palace garden on the summit was the domestic garden with its terraces
and rock cut pools
Located about fifteen kilometers east of Hambantota (a similar distance
west of Tissamaharama, Bundala
National Park is one of Sri Lanka's foremost destinations for
birdwatchers, protecting an important area of coastal wetland famous for
its abundant aquatic (and other) birdlife. The park is also home to
significant populations of elephants, Marsh & estuarine crocodiles,
turtles & other fauna, including the leopard. Stretching along the coast
east of Hambantota, Bundala National Park is ideal for instant
gratification: in a four hour jeep ride, we can see elephants, 8ft
crocs, giant squirrels & flamingoes. Afternoon safaris in the dry season
(December - May) provide visitors with the best chance of seeing the
wildlife.
