Sigiriya is 40 miles away from Anuradhapura. It is like a cultural museum, famous all over the world. Sigiriya rock appears like a lion when you look from far away. This Sigiriya fortress was built by King Kashyapa who lived there. Kashyapa killed his father to get the kingship. His brother Mugalan collected an army against him. It is said that, to escape from his brother, Kashyapa built this fortress.
Even today you can see the ruins of the place built on Sigiriya. How the building materials were taken to the top of the rock is still unknown. It was marvellous deed as even modern machinary cannot do it. It is considered as one of the wonders of the world.
King Kashyapa was a man of fine art. You can see it from the Sigiriya Frescoes, second only to Ajantha in India. This was painted in 8th century and still in a good condition. Females depicted on the wall are extremely beautiful.
The graffiti written later on the Mirror Wall by visitors are beautifully composed. The Mirror Wall has been made with polished stones. Some Say this was built to see the invading armies. The pond on the top of the rock is another wonderful thing. Even today foreigners are getting astonished when they see these miracles. If you go to the top of the Sigiriya you see that you are on the top of the world. You can enjoy the panorama miles away from there.
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| Sigiriya Rock |
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| Lion Gate (Sigiriya) |
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| Sigiriya Frescoes |
