Sigiriya,
located in the north-central part of Sri Lanka, preserves the
architectural tradition of the country. History of the town dates back
to more than 7000 years. The town is famous for its Rock, Gardens and
Sanctuary. Sigiriya gardens are the amalgamation of symmetrical and
asymmetrical elements. Detailed planning has been done for laying
these gardens. One can pass a wonderful day in the sanctuary of
Sigiriya. Many experienced tourists call Sigiriya the most favourable
place in Sri Lanka to visit. The Rock of Sigiriya is also known as the
Lion's Rock. Paintings of bare-breasted women were done over 1500
years ago.
Distance from
Major Cities
Colombo
187 Kms
Kandy
98 Kms
How to
reach there
Colombo is the nearest
airport to Sigiriya (169 kms).
Rail services can be
used to travel to Dambulla, which is close to Sigiriya (24 km).
Sigiriya is well connect to
many cities in Sri Lanka.
Monuments in
Sigiriya
Sigiriya Rock
Sigiriya Rock is the most popular attraction in Sigiriya. Once the
Lion staircase leading to the palace garden on the summit was the most
important part of the Rock. The covered staircase was made of bricks
and timber. However now only two massive paws and brick masonry
remains. Ancient limestone steps seem to have something special about
them. The rock face has two pockets of survived paintings. The
paintings are glorious examples of classical realism of Sri Lanka.
Water Gardens: The Water Garden, lying on the western precinct,
has water pavilions, pools, cisterns, courtyards, conduits and water
courses. These possessions are enough to entertain the visitors.
Boulder Garden: Boulder Garden is a distinct organic or
asymmetrical concept. The garden with natural boulders and winding
pathways is a nice place to visit with your family. The Cistern Rock
has a big cistern made of massive slabs of granite. Another rock has a
garden carved out on it.
Terrace Garden: This Garden is carved out of a natural hill. All
terraces lie in a concentric circle ringing the rock, systematically
rising above the other.
Palace Garden: This garden has lots of terraces and pools cut
in rocks. It was the domestic garden with plenty of terraces and rock
cut pools. The Garden lies at the top of the summit.
Wildlife Sanctuary: Sigiriya Wildlife Sanctuary encircles the
renowned Sigiriya rock. It is close to the Minneriya National park.
Vegetation here is mainly dry evergreen forest, shrub forests, and dry
deciduous forest. Many elephant herds live in this wildlife sanctuary
Sambar, eagle and falcon are other common creatures found in the
sanctuary.
Historical Importance
Sigiriya has spectacular importance in Sri Lanka. An ancient palace
complex, erected during the reign of King Kasyapa, has been declared
by UNESCO a world heritage site. Sigiriya was basically established in
477AD as a fortress and palace. However, in the 16th and 17th
centuries the place served as a monastic refuge. Anyone who sees the
Sigiriya Rock is left startled. It is a wonder to imagine how the
people associated in the making of the Rock would have manged to carry
the materials needed for its construction. The Rock juts out 200
metres from the land surrounding it.
Hotels in
Sigiriya
Luxury
Medium
Budget
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hh - heritage hotel ; ph -
palace hotel ; bh - boutique hotel ; gh - guest house ; hs - home stay