Sigiriya is an ancient fortress in the central province of Sri Lanka. One of the most historic destinations of Sri Lanka, Sigiriya is also on the UNESCO World Heritage site list. Some of the critical places in Sigiriya that you don’t want to miss are here for you.
The Water Gardens
As you enter the western entrance, you can view a water garden in its central section. The whole garden consists of three designs. We have a plot surrounded by water and two deep pools on either side of the path you walk in — similarly, a higher-level garden with two large octagonal pools and a raised podium in the northeast corner. Numerous fountains and stone decorations fill the garden. There are palaces built in the islands of the gardens which also once served as the summer palace. One of the prime examples of the ancient garden from The Char Bagh, the Water gardens here are a delight to watch.
The Boulder Gardens
The Boulder garden completes the Sigiriya and its water gardens. Having a small forest within it this garden is a pure form of art reflected in Sigiriya. With rock arches and many structures in boulders, the effort in making this garden is praiseworthy. The gardens of Sigiriya make the whole place alive. Its architecture is also one to stare at for a long time. Many boulders here still have a long line of notches initially made to hold the Pavilions. Now the Pavilions are gone, but one can make a clear picture of them viewing them in this garden. The boulder garden was the residence of the monks of Sigiriya, and there are still many relics holding up to the garden here. You can get a reflection of the community-dwelling in the rocks and caves here in the ancient period.
Sigiriya Damsels
A spiral metal ladder takes you to the sheltered recess in the rock where the paintings that are most valued in the nation of Sri Lanka-Sigiriya Damsels lie. Commissioned by King Kassapa in the 5th century is a splendid art form with bewildering visuals. Amongst many of their paintings is one that many artists worldwide praise. A painting done on the whole face of the rock is eventually one of the largest murals ever tried. Here, 21 bare-chested women with cloud-life fluffy dresses below stand offering fruits and scattering different kinds of flowers. Many artists have also preferred to state these damsels as the highly concentrated and stylized art form of Buddhist religious themes.
The Mirror Wall
The Mirror Wall is another one of the Sigiriya’s unique sights where there is a highly polished mirror wall with a wide variety of graffiti, poems, and other literary fragments of the impressions of the Sigiriya. We can compare The Mirror Wall as a living book of the history of Sigiriya. This wall constitutes all the reactions of early visitors to Sigiriya. Plastered with egg white, burnished lime, and beeswax it’s covered with dense spider web. Graffiti dating back to the 7th century has tributes in the form of art or poems about the beauty of Nearby Damsels. The Mirror Wall is also a place where people nowadays like to stumble to learn about the ancient history of Sigiriya as a whole.
Major Attractions
Sigiriya Rock Fortress
Stunning Sigiriya Frescoes
Lion’s Paw Terrace
Cobra Hood Cave
The Water Gardens
The Boulder Gardens
Terraced Gardens
Sigiriya Damsels
The Mirror Wall
On-site Museum
Nearby Habarana Village
Nearby Pidurangala Rock
