We were up early at around 6.30 a.m. and packed our things ready for the boat to come at 7.45 a.m. We tidied up the room and showered and dressed ready for he climb of Sirigiya Rock. The boat arrived on schedule and we loaded the bags onto it and after landing took the golf cart to the parking spot where Mendis was awaiting us. We picked up the breakfast boxes and took off for Sirigiya. On the way we saw two peacocks displaying their tails in search of a mate, a sight almost like the sunrise!! We arrived at Sirigiya and realized that coming on a holiday weekend was perhaps not the best scheduling. This weekend include 4th February which is Siri Lanka National Day marking the day in 1948 when they received independence from Britain. There were large crowds all with the same idea of climbing the rock. This a is a history of the site from Wikipedia:
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The name Sigiriya refers to a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 200 metres (660 ft) high.
The environment around the Sigiriya may have been inhabited since prehistoric times. There is clear evidence that the many rock shelters and caves in the vicinity were occupied by Buddhist monks and ascetics from as early as the 3rd century BCE. The earliest evidence of human habitation at Sigiriya is the Aligala rock shelter to the east of Sigiriya rock, indicating that the area was occupied nearly five thousand years ago during the Mesolithic Period.
Buddhist monastic settlements were established during the 3rd century BCE in the western and northern slopes of the boulder-strewn hills surrounding the Sigiriya rock. Several rock shelters or caves were created during this period. These shelters were made under large boulders, with carved drip ledges around the cave mouths. Rock inscriptions are carved near the drip ledges on many of the shelters, recording the donation of the shelters to the Buddhist monastic order as residences. These were made in the period between the 3rd century BCE and the 1st century CE.
In 477 CE, Kashyapa I, the king’s son by a non-royal consort, seized the throne from King Dhatusena, following a coup assisted by Migara, the King’s nephew and army commander. The rightful heir, Moggallana, fearing for his life, fled to South India. Afraid of an attack by Moggallana, Kashyapa moved the capital and his residence from the traditional capital of Anuradhapura to the more secure Sigiriya. During King Kashyapa’s reign (477 to 495 CE), Sigiriya was developed into a complex city and fortress.[1][2] Most of the elaborate constructions on the rock summit and around it, including defensive structures, palaces, and gardens, date from this period.
The Culavamsa describes King Kashyapa as the son of King Dhatusena. Kashyapa murdered his father by walling him up alive and then usurping the throne which rightfully belonged to his half-brother Moggallana, Dhatusena's son by the true queen. Moggallana fled to India to escape being assassinated by Kashyapa, but vowed revenge. In India he raised an army with the intention of returning and retaking the throne of Sri Lanka, which he considered to be rightfully his. Expecting the inevitable return of Moggallana, Kashyapa is said to have built his palace on the summit of Sigiriya as a fortress as well as a pleasure palace. Moggallana finally arrived, declared war, and defeated Kashyapa in 495 CE. During the battle Kashyapa's armies abandoned him and he committed suicide by falling on his sword.
The Culavamsa and folklore inform us that the battle-elephant on which Kashyapa was mounted changed course to take a strategic advantage, but the army misinterpreted the movement as the king's having opted to retreat, prompting the army to abandon him altogether. It is said that being too proud to surrender he took his dagger from his waistband, cut his throat, raised the dagger proudly, sheathed it, and fell dead. Moggallana returned the capital to Anuradhapura, converting Sigiriya into a Buddhist monastery complex,[4] which survived until the 13th or 14th century. After this period, no records are found on Sigiriya until the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was used briefly as an outpost of the Kingdom of Kandy.
Alternative stories have the primary builder of Sigiriya as King Dhatusena, with Kashyapa finishing the work in honour of his father. Still other stories describe Kashyapa as a playboy king, with Sigiriya his pleasure palace. Even Kashyapa's eventual fate is uncertain. In some versions he is assassinated by poison administered by a concubine; in others he cuts his own throat when deserted in his final battle.Still further interpretations regard the site as the work of a Buddhist community, without a military function. This site may have been important in the competition between the Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist traditions in ancient Sri Lanka.
Unquote
After buying tickets we left Mendis and started our trek to the foot of the rock. There were large crowds of people and we soon stopped dead n a human traffic jam on the very first steps of our 1,200 step climb, Then it started to rain!! There were ‘touts’ who offered to take people up a short cut. As we waited we debated whether this would be a good move and eventually, reluctantly on MAC’s part, we decided to do it. But, instead of ‘greasing the palm of the tout, we waited for someone else to do it and just followed on behind. These steps were clear and we soon joined the main throng, quite a bit further up the climb. It was still crowded but it was inching along nevertheless and we reached the small of mirrors which is a series of cave paintings quite a bit ahead of where we would have been if we had not taken the diversion. Then we continued our climb in a long snake of people until we got to the Lion’s Paw. His marked the start of the last lap of the climb to the top which was quite hard work. There were many local families, some with very young children they were carrying on the climb as well as many old people, some almost crawling up. We reached the top where the remains of the King’s palace are situated and it affords a great view of the surroundings as well as access to the royal gardens and pools. We spent a while up on the top before starting our descent with the crowds of people on the stairs down. As the stirs were quite narrow and shred by those still ascending, t was quite a slow process and hard on the knees. But we made it to the car park where Mendis was waiting. I was able to switch my soaked t-shirt for a dry one and immediately felt better.
We took off or our drive to our new hotel near Kandy called the Santani Spa and Wellness Resort. This is, according to Mendis, the 10th best hotel in the world and 5th best in Asia. After quite a long drive which passed through Kandy and involved stops to buy a Sri Lankan flag to celebrate Independence Day, to sample some Jack fruit and also to tour a spice farm where we bought some spices and Ayurvedic lotions we arrived at our hotel high in the hills and surrounded by jungle. We were greeted by the hotel staff and an electric ‘tuk tuk’ which took us to our room. The room is quite interesting as much is open to the air. There is a terrace outside and the shower is open to the elements, There is no air conditioning as the temperature is moderate and equable due to the height of the hotel.
We showered and unpacked before summoning the ‘tuk’tuk’ again to go up to the main part of the hotel where the restaurant is, for dinner. On the way were shown the health facilities which include massage and treatment rooms, yoga, sauna, pools and Ayurvedic treatments. At dinner there was no menu but we were introduced to Pradeep the chef and given our choices. I chose the Sri Lankan rice and curry and MAC some lamb chops, we washed this down with some Cabernet. During the meal, Barbara introduced herself as the head of the treatments, wellness and yoga. She outlined what was available but we do not have time for this as we are off to Kandy the next day and leave the day after.
After dinner it was back into the ‘tuk tuk’ and to our room to bed amid the noises of the crickets, birds and animals in the locale.
Quote
The name Sigiriya refers to a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 200 metres (660 ft) high.
The environment around the Sigiriya may have been inhabited since prehistoric times. There is clear evidence that the many rock shelters and caves in the vicinity were occupied by Buddhist monks and ascetics from as early as the 3rd century BCE. The earliest evidence of human habitation at Sigiriya is the Aligala rock shelter to the east of Sigiriya rock, indicating that the area was occupied nearly five thousand years ago during the Mesolithic Period.
Buddhist monastic settlements were established during the 3rd century BCE in the western and northern slopes of the boulder-strewn hills surrounding the Sigiriya rock. Several rock shelters or caves were created during this period. These shelters were made under large boulders, with carved drip ledges around the cave mouths. Rock inscriptions are carved near the drip ledges on many of the shelters, recording the donation of the shelters to the Buddhist monastic order as residences. These were made in the period between the 3rd century BCE and the 1st century CE.
In 477 CE, Kashyapa I, the king’s son by a non-royal consort, seized the throne from King Dhatusena, following a coup assisted by Migara, the King’s nephew and army commander. The rightful heir, Moggallana, fearing for his life, fled to South India. Afraid of an attack by Moggallana, Kashyapa moved the capital and his residence from the traditional capital of Anuradhapura to the more secure Sigiriya. During King Kashyapa’s reign (477 to 495 CE), Sigiriya was developed into a complex city and fortress.[1][2] Most of the elaborate constructions on the rock summit and around it, including defensive structures, palaces, and gardens, date from this period.
The Culavamsa describes King Kashyapa as the son of King Dhatusena. Kashyapa murdered his father by walling him up alive and then usurping the throne which rightfully belonged to his half-brother Moggallana, Dhatusena's son by the true queen. Moggallana fled to India to escape being assassinated by Kashyapa, but vowed revenge. In India he raised an army with the intention of returning and retaking the throne of Sri Lanka, which he considered to be rightfully his. Expecting the inevitable return of Moggallana, Kashyapa is said to have built his palace on the summit of Sigiriya as a fortress as well as a pleasure palace. Moggallana finally arrived, declared war, and defeated Kashyapa in 495 CE. During the battle Kashyapa's armies abandoned him and he committed suicide by falling on his sword.
The Culavamsa and folklore inform us that the battle-elephant on which Kashyapa was mounted changed course to take a strategic advantage, but the army misinterpreted the movement as the king's having opted to retreat, prompting the army to abandon him altogether. It is said that being too proud to surrender he took his dagger from his waistband, cut his throat, raised the dagger proudly, sheathed it, and fell dead. Moggallana returned the capital to Anuradhapura, converting Sigiriya into a Buddhist monastery complex,[4] which survived until the 13th or 14th century. After this period, no records are found on Sigiriya until the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was used briefly as an outpost of the Kingdom of Kandy.
Alternative stories have the primary builder of Sigiriya as King Dhatusena, with Kashyapa finishing the work in honour of his father. Still other stories describe Kashyapa as a playboy king, with Sigiriya his pleasure palace. Even Kashyapa's eventual fate is uncertain. In some versions he is assassinated by poison administered by a concubine; in others he cuts his own throat when deserted in his final battle.Still further interpretations regard the site as the work of a Buddhist community, without a military function. This site may have been important in the competition between the Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist traditions in ancient Sri Lanka.
Unquote
After buying tickets we left Mendis and started our trek to the foot of the rock. There were large crowds of people and we soon stopped dead n a human traffic jam on the very first steps of our 1,200 step climb, Then it started to rain!! There were ‘touts’ who offered to take people up a short cut. As we waited we debated whether this would be a good move and eventually, reluctantly on MAC’s part, we decided to do it. But, instead of ‘greasing the palm of the tout, we waited for someone else to do it and just followed on behind. These steps were clear and we soon joined the main throng, quite a bit further up the climb. It was still crowded but it was inching along nevertheless and we reached the small of mirrors which is a series of cave paintings quite a bit ahead of where we would have been if we had not taken the diversion. Then we continued our climb in a long snake of people until we got to the Lion’s Paw. His marked the start of the last lap of the climb to the top which was quite hard work. There were many local families, some with very young children they were carrying on the climb as well as many old people, some almost crawling up. We reached the top where the remains of the King’s palace are situated and it affords a great view of the surroundings as well as access to the royal gardens and pools. We spent a while up on the top before starting our descent with the crowds of people on the stairs down. As the stirs were quite narrow and shred by those still ascending, t was quite a slow process and hard on the knees. But we made it to the car park where Mendis was waiting. I was able to switch my soaked t-shirt for a dry one and immediately felt better.
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| We start our walk to the foot of the rock and the climb itself |
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| Sirigiya Rock, we would get to the top... |
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| The view from halfway up of a large standing Budhha in the distance |
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| The Lion's Gate, here, we would have to stop if there was an infestation of bees, but on our day, maybe due to the rain, there was not so we could go on up |
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| The staircase to the top |
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| MAC makes it to the summit |
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| Views from the top |
We showered and unpacked before summoning the ‘tuk’tuk’ again to go up to the main part of the hotel where the restaurant is, for dinner. On the way were shown the health facilities which include massage and treatment rooms, yoga, sauna, pools and Ayurvedic treatments. At dinner there was no menu but we were introduced to Pradeep the chef and given our choices. I chose the Sri Lankan rice and curry and MAC some lamb chops, we washed this down with some Cabernet. During the meal, Barbara introduced herself as the head of the treatments, wellness and yoga. She outlined what was available but we do not have time for this as we are off to Kandy the next day and leave the day after.
After dinner it was back into the ‘tuk tuk’ and to our room to bed amid the noises of the crickets, birds and animals in the locale.
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