A Visit to Sigiriya: A must-see destination in Sri Lanka

Front view

 Sri Lanka is one of the leading tourist countries. Sri Lanka has so many tourist destinations, which have been a crucial source of income for the country. Those tourist places bring more visitors to the country. Considering all the tourist places in Sri Lanka, the Sigiriya stands out individually for its specific features. We have been reading more Sigiriya-related essays through newspapers, magazines, internet and getting to know several details of the place. Further, the children have access to read Sigiriya essays through their subjects, such as history, art, and so on. Whenever we read Sigiriya-related essays, the place tempts people across the age limit, including elders and children. Therefore, in Sri Lanka, several schools are keen to arrange trips toward the Sigiriya. There are ample essays about Sigiriya's history on the internet, magazine articles, books, and so on. The history of the Sigiriya has been a myth, Therefore, I did some intense research on the history of the Sigiriya, and I have written this article with more genuine facets.

History of the Sigiriya rock

It is one of the UNESCO world heritage sites, considered the world's eighth wonder. Sigiriya rock became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1982. Sigiriya was built around the 3rd century BC and was used as a monastery for nearly 800 years. By the 5th century, Sigiriya became a royal palace. Sigiriya is also known as the lion rock or Sigiriya fortress. Still, no one is really sure how this Sigiriya fortress came to be, and no one has a hundred percent proof for it. Let's see about the different myths about the Sigiriya. The first myth is it is believed that Sigiriya was the kingdom of Ravan, a very ancient king who captured Sita from India and got into a bunch of fights with an Indian god Ram, in which he was eventually killed.

Second, this was a monastery; there's definite evidence that monks did live here up to 1500 years ago. Thirdly, this story is believed by a wide range of people, especially Sri Lankan people, that the Sigiriya fortress was built by king Kashyapa 1 of Anuradhapura, who ruled from 477 to 495 AD. He asked his father, king Dhatusena, while he was a prince, I wanted to be king, but his father said no, so king Kashyapa killed his father for the throne by burying him alive in a wall, then fearing retribution from his brother, he fled, and he built this fortress. He brought 5000 troops with him and held down the fort until his half-brother invaded, and conquered his army, leaving the king to commit suicide. This was a really tragic story of a powerful king who ended his life by committing suicide. Later, these buildings were abandoned around the 12th century for almost 1000 years. 

Location of the Sigiriya

Sigiriya is located in the northern Matale district of Sri Lanka, in a historically significant region with several ancient ruins. The rock is relatively isolated, and Dambulla, the next significant town, is approximately 17km and 177km from Colombo. The fortress is easily accessible by road, with regular bus and train services from Colombo and other major cities in the region. The closest major airport is Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, approximately a three-hour drive from Sigiriya.

What is so special about Sigiriya

This Sigiriya rock is essentially broken up into two parts, the massive royal garden at the base and the royal palace at the top of this monolithic rock. Firstly, the rock itself; The height of Sigiriya is a massive 200-meter (660-foot) tall rock; it takes approximately 45 minutes to reach the top of this rock, and to reach the top, it requires a semi-arduous hike up some 1200-plus steps; I would say tourists should come early, especially morning time is the best time to climb this massive rock, and you can have a refreshing journey.

The lion's gate is one of the most iconic features of Sigiriya, a massive stone sculpture of a lion's head that was the entrance to the fortress. How it gets the name lion rock, with two huge paws at the gate of the fort apparently there used to be a lion head, but it was demolished by erosion over time.

Then the fortress complex at Sigiriya includes a series of water gardens that were once used for irrigation and recreation. The gardens feature pools, fountains, and water channels fed by a natural spring on the rock.

At the top of the rock, there are the remains of the sky palace, a series of interconnected rooms and terraces that were the residents of the king. The palace offers breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside.

Sigiriya rock is more famous for its frescoes, which are ancient paintings. The Sigiriya frescoes are located in a section of the rock fortress known as the ''cave of the frescoes'', which is accessed via a series of stairways and passages. The frescoes at Sigiriya depict a series of bare-breasted women known as ''Sigiriya maidens''. They are shown in various poses and are believed to have been painted in the 5th century. The frescoes are considered to be some of the oldest and best-preserved paintings of their kind in the world. In addition, frescoes also depict a variety of other subjects, including animals, flowers, and geometric patterns. The paintings are highly stylized and notable for their bright colors and bold lines. The frescoes at Sigiriya have remained remarkably well-preserved and continue to attract visitors from around the world. 

Entrance

Outside area 

Garden area

Top view

Some of the best hotels in Sigiriya

1. Heritance kandalama - 40,997 per night 
2. Palmyra nature resort Sigiriya - 12,127 per night
3. Royal rock Sigiriya - 13,229 per night 
4. Hotel Sigiriya - 51,136 per night
5. EKHO Sigiriya - 18,374 per night
6. Il Frangipane - 20,212 per night
7. Lankapura heritage hotel - 9,187 per night
8. One more night hostel Sigiriya - 2,205 per night
9. Flower garden eco village - 11,760 per night
10. Cassandra culture resort - 23, 519 per night       (Reference-booking.com )

Likewise, there are lots of hotels and resorts near Sigiriya. In the near future, I will write about all those hotels, resorts, and their facilities in detail.

To sum up, some experiences can't be explained through writing, similar case here Sigiriya is not a tourist place it is a wholesome experience. So we cannot get the real experience merely by seeing photos or reading articles about this, rather than visiting this fortress. I highly recommend it the people who come to Sri Lanka for any reason, you have to visit it once in your life apart from all its historical and world popularity, and Sigiriya is a place that is workable for all age category people especially children because this place would be one of adventure experience for them. The entry ticket is 30 USD for adults and 15 USD for child foreign visitors, and 100 rupees for local people. As a foreigner, you may think the ticket fee is slightly high, but I truly say this will be a worthwhile experience for your money rather than spending other unnecessary stuff.