Every single place I have been to on my vacation with my family is beautiful, ethereal, pristine, unique, fun filled and rich in history. When my parents popped out the idea of Christmas vacation last year, I jumped in joy. Different places were discussed and at last we decided to go to Sri Lanka. I was so excited as Sri Lanka has common cultural and historical connection with Ramayana, the timeless epic. Another reason I was excited to go to Sri Lanka was the Sigiriya fortress- Sri Lanka’s most popular tourist destination and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a 5th century rock fortress, 200 meters high from the surrounding landscape, created like a crouching lion.
The site dates back to the reign of King Kashyap (477-495 AD), who chose Sigiriya as his new capital. He adorned the rock walls with frescoes and constructed an impressive palace atop the rock, accessible only through the mouth of an enormous carved lion. The ruins of various chambers, stairways and pools can be seen at the top. As one approach the entrance, one encounters the Lion’s Paw, a massive stone carving that guards the way into the fortress. This lion motif gives Sigiriya its name, derived from the Sinhalese word “Sihagri”, meaning Lion Rock. Sigiriya boasts some of the oldest landscaped gardens in the world.
Our trip kick-started on an adventurous note soon after reaching the Sri Lankan land, as our trip representative took us to Dambulla and Sigiriya. As we arrived at the Sigiriya Lion Rock early in the morning at around 6.20 am, we were surprised to see hundreds of visitors and a sense of awe and wonder enveloped us as we stood in front of gigantic rock. The views of Sigiriya Rock from the gardens are breathtaking in the early morning light and it will always remain in my memory. We started exploring the water gardens, cave and boulder gardens, and terraced gardens that surrounded the rock. Each area holds surprises waiting to be discovered.
We slowly moved to higher ground, walking uphill and taking the occasional few steps. Suddenly there were only steps, going straight up, and it dawned on me that there was no wide staircase for climbing up to the Sigiriya Rock. It is a hard climb for the elderly but it depends entirely on how fit you are! If you decide to do it, my advice is to go very early when they open and there are less people and it's not so hot. Take lots of water and a hat and rest often. We started exploring the water gardens, cave and boulder gardens, and terraced gardens that surrounded the rock. Each area holds surprises waiting to be discovered.
The beautiful frescoes are up a very steep spiral staircase off to one side of the main stairs/walkway. Even if you decide not to climb (and you can decide at the last minute if you do) it's well worth going to wander around the water gardens and the rocks at the base of the climb anyway. The mesmerising great view all the way up, and the airy path in some places are moments to enjoy and remember. What was more thrilling and exhilarating was that we had to walk 1200 steps to reach the top of the gigantic rock.
Remember, Sigiriya isn’t just a rock; it’s a living testament to human imagination, history and architectural brilliance.