Sigirîya - also called Simhagîri , rock of the lion - is an archaeological major, old site royal Capitale of the Sri Lanka and a tourist site important. The site is classified with the world heritage of humanity by UNESCO and is in the center of the country at 160 kilometers of Colombo. Before installations of Kassapa, the site had already been occupied as graffiti show it found in a cave, as well as the Bouddha lying of treize  meters dating from

History

At the end of the 5th century, Kassapa, the son junior by the king of Anurâdhapura Dhatusena enters in conflict with his/her older brother Mogallana. The throne must return from right to the oldest son but Kassapa does not hear it thus. It foments a Complot and keep silent his/her father by immuring it alive then takes the control of regency and expels his Mogallana brother who is constrained with a Exil forced in India. Mogallana by leaving his/her brother informs it that it will return and that it will avenge their late father. Extremely précautionneux and Paranoïa that, Kassapa which knows that one day or the other his/her brother will return, raises its army and leaves the royal capital of Anurâdhapura to settle in Sigirîya while waiting for the return of his/her brother. He chooses the site of Sigirîya because of the immense culminating rock with 370  meters with the abrupt walls which plays the part of impressive walls and the presence to ten kilometers of a Tank, water tank which his/her father had formerly dug. The alteration work of the site relatively short, is compared with the difficulty and the extent of the task to be achieved.

Kassapa makes build at the top of the rock a Forteresse and it arranges on the ground all the part which extends to the South and the East from the rock where it makes build two lines of walls and ditches, North and the West being protected by thick the Jungle which prevents any massive invasion. Kassapa makes perforate an underground opening since the tank located at the North-East until the site of Sigirîya in order to bring running water to it, the slope of this drain is very weak and the altitude deviation between the tank and the site of Sigirîya does not exceed 50 centimetres. However that is enough so that water spouts out in Sigirîya and the gardens surrounding the site are strewn with basins and are constellated with small fountains. This water is conveyed until the top of the rock by a process of cisterns without any man power and it runs out at the top feeding the swimming pool of king, and the various tanks intended for the watering of the gardens and the toilet of the members of the court.

Kassapa posts its guards around the rock in the gardens arranged behind the walls, constructions marry the geological forms skilfully site, sometimes a large stone is used as wall and of foundation, sometimes an anfractuosity in the rock is used as support for a roof… This clever use of surrounding nature amongst other things made it possible to accelerate work. The guards all are placed on headlands on the exaggeratedly small and chaotic surface, any loss of vigilance or drowsiness involving the fall of the sentinel.

Once completed work of carcass work heavy castings, Kassapa settles in its Palais where it remains, apprehensive, most of its time. It is surrounded by its court made up of being useful, servants, its courtesan and confidence, henchmen. The Légende says that king Kassapa was surrounded by thousand courtesans, the young ladies of Sigirîya. It makes paint, in a style close to that of Ajantâ, in a broad anfractuosity of the rock of the southern face of the rock, with middle height, the portraits of foot or bust of all these young ladies - or more probably of the Apsarâ S, with the number of twenty-and-a - all different.

During eighteen years, Kassapa saw recluse in his fortress awaiting in the middle of its rather female court the return of his/her Mogallana brother. During this time, Mogallana taken refuge in India, raises an army with the assistance of a Râja and crosses the Détroit of Palk which separates the Indian continent from Ceylon then directly travelled towards Anurâdhapura that it finds completely abandoned. It obtains information which enables him to find his/her parricidal brother with Sigirîya.

Whereas Kassapa remains quietly at the top of its rock, he sees arriving by the South and the East of the troops which he identifies at once: his/her brother is of return. Kassapa buckles the gardens and puts the guard in alarm for the combat which he thinks inevitably gained being given the advantage that its position confers to him. Mogallana, in end strategist, deploys his troops around the site and besieges it, waiting until his/her brother goes down to the combat. But, Kassapa had thought of all, except the supply in the event of seat. After hardly a week, Kassapa exhausted by the hunger goes down and is delivered, without combat, with his/her older brother who carries out it.

Mogallana takes again regency and Sigirîya is forever abandoned.

The site

At the time of Kassapa

The very vast site is limited to the west and in north by a thick jungle, the south and the east by a double line of deep ditches strengthened by a wall, this external enclosure protects the access to the gardens which surround the rock.

The gardens are very well arranged, the grass is close-cropped, the trees elegantly disseminated and enriched by many basins paved with perfect symmetries on which float watery lotuses and other plants. Many water jets supplement this decoration Nature L.

While approaching the rock of the constructions intended for the guards are pressed on the natural decoration such as large rocks, trees, use of the differences in level of the ground…

On the east coast of the rock the principal Citerne is which feeds the Palais as well as buildings intended for the guards and the worship.

The access to the rock is not possible that by the southern face and it is obligatory to pass in a bottleneck to reach the steps which lead to the base of the rock approximately 20  meters above the level of the ground, obviously this single entry is well kept, each position in height is used for there poster a guard under conditions of balance which do not allow the relaxation. After being last under a Vault rock natural, a flight of steps, rectilinear and cut well, allows to reach on the southern face of the rock starting from this place, the steps are much more irregular and the more difficult rise.

Arrived at middle height, it is essential to borrow a staircase of wood which gives access a broad anfractuosity of the rock which gash the southern face of the rock on several tens de  meters of width and plusieurs  meters of depth. It is on this face starting from this height that paintings are representing the young ladies of Sigîriya . A long wall partitions this anfractuosity thus protecting those which are there inquisitive eyes and projectiles. This wall brilliant because is covered with a single Enduit containing eggs and with Chaux.

Once arrived at the end, there remain many steps to climb to reach the western face of the rock. This western face is particular because cut out by a Terrasse with middle height, this relatively plane and vast terrace makes it possible to rest during the rise and shelters some constructions. The principal characteristic is that, since this terrace, one reaches the last flight of walk while passing between the legs of gigantic a Lion carved in the rock which downwards imposes its majesty on all the valley, the Statue of more than dix  meters height keeps the entry of the fortress.

The “steps” which follow are very abrupt and fine and that grows louder and louder during the rise, the last steps which finish the ten derniers  meters do not exceed 5 millimetres of width! Most astonishing is that Kassapa is made carry to its palate on a Sedan-chair driven by four servants at least, whereas it is already difficult for a fine shape person alone to keep balance!

Lastly, at the top, one discovers the palate of the king, high of two stone stages and built what is rare for the time when the stages were out of wood. Behind is located the swimming pool of the king and the gardens and even further the cisterns which feed the gardens then the installations intended for the toilet. Some buildings on a level lodge the servants and guards which ensure the intendance while the king batifole with his many Courtisane S.

The way to go down again is different that which is useful for the rise. Indeed, starting from the gallery of the Fresco S, it is possible to reach the face is rock from where a staircase goes down in curve and leads to a series of buildings reserved for the guards then another series of buildings reserved for the worship. Finally the way joined part of gardens isolated with basins and jets of water then emerges outside the perimeter on the level of the double ditch.

This configuration makes it possible to control the entry and the exits and it is not possible to penetrate and leave the site by the same route.

Today

A long time abandoned site is rehabilitated in the middle of the 20th century by the authorities Singhalese.

The gardens are released, the walled ditches also just like the basins and the water jets. The access to the rock is released and of new constructions allow to again take the way which Kassapa took. The entry on the site is done by the entry Antique as envisaged at the time just like the exit.

Arrived on the site the first thing which jumps to the eyes is the perspective : gardens in foreground arranged with the stone low walls and close-cropped grass spaces, then trees being detached on bottom from rock Concretion S and finally the break point from this prospect bringing on the rock for the lion, high from several hundreds de  meters.

While advancing in the gardens the basins out of water appear and by bending down strange Stèle S punts and squares pierced with round holes are visible in many places, they are the installations of the water jets. The Singhalese government tried successfully to remake to function these water jets at the end of the 20th century. Water rises between 30 and 40 centimetres above the ground. Singe S malicious watch for the visitors perched on the trees.

While approaching the rock a natural rock vault acts as entry, the passage is tightened, narrow, the first steps are revealed and the environment is completely rock. Arrived in top of first flown of walk, altitude is already higher than 50  meters and while being turned over, the glance exceeds the rocks previously exceeded and the prospect opens on the gardens downwards.

By continuing the rise of a hundred de  meters, the passage leads to a metal snail staircase which gives access to the gallery Rupestre where are painted the young ladies of Sigirîya , it remains about it today twenty-and-a of which ten perfectly preserved.

After this pause necessary to the contemplation of these secular works, the passage sets out again while skirting, by outside, the southern face. It is here that the visitors borrow the way closed on outside by a wall shining and smooth like Marbre. It is covered with a coating containing egg and lime which gives him this aspect at the same time Opaque and Diaphane, strange. This coating is of origin and some Graffiti S contemporaries leaves a trace vandal of time when the site was not protected by the Singhalese authorities.

The passage leads to a last flight of more abrupt and irregular steps that the preceding ones and who bring to a broad terrace where a quantity of small stands out of wooden is held by local merchants who propose water, postcards and other local products of grocer. It is of this terrace that draws up itself, quasi-vertical, the western of wall, high face from hundred more to hundred cinquante  meters.

Giant statue of lion which kept formerly the entry with the palate it remains nothing any more but the imposing legs which frame a first staircase with the rectilinear and regular steps. Four large cages out of wooden, closed by a fine netting, are disseminated on the terrace. The rise of this last most perilous part and also most impressive, because, to climb, it is necessary to borrow many series of steps, with side of wall, irregular, some very high and others very fine. The last part of the pleasing rise on the top curvature of the face Is. Admittedly the slope is less strong there but they is here also that the steps are finest, some of being made only furrows of a few millimetres of depth!

Those which have the Vertige cannot unfortunately easily arrive at the top. The top of the rock is relatively flat, soft inclined towards the west. Ancient constructions, there remain only the foundations as well as a piece of wall of the palate of Kassapa on a stage and half, a piece of the staircase which gave access the stages and the cisterns. The swimming pool of the king is very well preserved, rather large (approximately cent  square meters) and deep of approximately deux  meters to the maximum. The steps which border the swimming pool are almost all present.

The vestiges of the gardens are distinguished very well in the middle of the foundations from stone and the system of Irrigation, which does not function any more, is still visible for the expert eye.

The Panorama with 360 degrees which is offered to the glance of the spectator is imposing, in north and in the east the mottled jungle of lake and villages, with far the mountainous buttresses from the solid mass of the Pic of Adam are revealed, the large tank built by the father of Kassapa with far indicates and proves all the engineering installation by Kassapa to convey water for more than ten kilometers. In the south and the west the plunging point of view on the gardens lets appear a perfect, unimaginable prospect since the ground.

While going down again, the borrowed way diverges, after the rupestral gallery and gives access the west coast of the rock, the steps go down in the middle of a richer and luxuriant vegetation that at the entry, the way leads to a first oval clearing where some woodens building shelter local Artiste S and craftsmen who sell their productions. Further, one second clearing, more released, is used as a basis to the charmers of Serpent S like with some artists.

Characteristics of the site of Sigirîya

The system of irrigation

It is particularly complex and advanced for the time (5th century), the tank which feeds the network is located at more than ten kilometers of the site and the underground drain which allows the routing of water emerges only 50 centimetres lower than the level of the tank, is a slope of 1 out of 20.000. It is however proven that the Singhaleses were always of excellent technicians and in advance of several centuries on the level of the systems Hydraulique S and of irrigations. The water jets of Sigirîya are emblematic of this knowledge, as comparison the first water jets with Versailles were inaugurated only more Millénaire after those of Sigirîya.

The other characteristic is the routing of water at the top of the rock, that is to say more 350  meters above the level of the tank. By a clever system of cistern and difference of Pressure, water did not need any human intervention to spout out at the top in the large cistern which fed the swimming pool first of all, then water ran out in another more small cistern which fed gardens and buildings.

Guards of Sigirîya

When the visitor is on the terrace of the western face, it is enough for him to look in the air, approximately 70  meters above, on the west-north-west side of the wall, to see enormous brown masses stuck to the wall. It is about Essaim S giants of Frelon S, of which largest more 7  measures; meters in height on 3 broad. Time with other, the Frelons attack when a visitor climbs the last part of the rock. A Nuée of hundreds of thousands of insects blackens the sky and attacks the visitors from where utility of the latticed cages which are used as refuges to the tourists and with the guides at the time of such an attack. Those are rather frequent, but no serious Décès nor Accident never occurred since the opening of the site to the tourists.

The Singhalese government, on several occasions, tried to exterminate these swarms. With great Insecticidal reinforcement of and repulsive, all the swarms and the Frelons were destroyed first once. The following year, those had been reconstituted, even larger and the number of Frelons had increased by as much. And this two years of continuation. Since, the authorities decided that it was useless to try to dislodge these hosts with the bad reputation and that best to do was to leave them quiet. It was then decided to install huts fitted latticework on to protect the visitors and the buildings in the event of attack.

The legend was not long in being born, the Frelons are regarded by the Singhaleses as the guards of Sigirîya and when they attack it is that those which want to go up are not welcome.