7 Amazing things to see in Sigiriya

Wh..aat! A castle up there? That was the first thing hit my mind when I saw Sigiriya for the first time.

A massive column of rock nearly 660 feet high! The rock that has turned into a fortress by king Kashyapa.( 473 to 495 CE)

Sigiriya citadel is a great place to witness some jaw-dropping views, untamed wind and some amazing chronicle if you don't mind feeling your muscles. If this sounds like what you looking for in your trip to Sri Lanka keep reading....

The ruins of the main entrance and water garden beneath the palace

The ruins remain still tells us about the marvels technology they owned at that time and the beauty, King Kashyapa have added to the castle with construction strategies.

The history and the beauty it owns has made the UNESCO name it as a world heritage.And that's why Sigiriya has become a must-visit place in Sri Lanka.

So here are the 7 amazing things to see in Sigiriya

1. Tropical gardens 

Tropical gardens with amazing landscapes, pavilions, pools, courtyards, fountains, cisterns, and winding waterways have increased the beauty and the royalty of the palace.

Royal entrance from the top
 Photo creditkarusantravels.com

2. Steps to the clouds

Thousands of small steps carved in the rock will take you to the top. Though it feels like it's never going to end you'll realise that the effort is not a waste after you reach the top.

New stairs to the sky

Light pants and a pair of shoes are the best to climb Sigiriya as you'll find a lot of steps to climb and the shoes will help you to avoid hitting your toes on the steps.

FYI-All the steps that used by the king were made from moonstone.

3. Sigiriya Frescoes (the gorgeous topless ladies)

The beautiful  ladies ( better to say sexy;))with sophisticated clothes and lifelike appearance painted effortlessly floating among clouds, who are with flowers in their hands are the queens of the King Kashyapa according to some experts . 

Some suggest that they are celestial nymphs carrying flowers to shower the King and the mortals below. The other say that they are the manifestations of god Tara.

"Sidelong glances of the golden-hued ladies stab into my thoughts
heaven itself cannot take my mind"-Graffiti from the 'Mirror wall'

No matter who they are, there are used to be about 500 such painting at the time of king Kashyapa around the waist of the rock. But today you can find only a few of them as the Buddhist monks who select this place as their monastery, (after the death of King Kashyapa ) have destroyed them, as the ladies were a distraction to their religious establishment.

Beautiful ladies on the wall

All the ladies were the same to me until my guide explained to me that their features of the ladies show that they have physical features of different countries like Africa,Mongolia,china...

4.Mirror wall

On your way to the top golden 'Mirror wall ' is another amazing feature you'll find only in Sigiriya.It's a wall plastered using a special  plaster mixing honey, lime  and egg white and had polished with bee wax until it reflects an image perfectly.

Mirror wall was a protective wall has later become a spot where the tourist who visits the place caved poems and comments describing the beauty of the castle and the ladies(painting).

Mirror wall

I don't know why King Kashyapa was so bothered to polish even just a protective wall for the stairs.But if he decorated a protective wall in such a way,I could imagine, how the rest was like, back then.

5.Lion stairs

Half of the way to the top you'll find a place where you have to continue your journey up to the top, under a giant lion.

Lion stair

It's believed that the king Kashyapa has sculptured the whole face of a lion.Unfortunately, with the time it has been destroyed for some reason. You can see it better in the animated video at the museum there.

6. View and the wind waiting for you

And there, at last, the view!!!I found the top+my painful legs.The blue sky,the white cloud roofing the rock , the strong wind blowing  that tries to carry us with it and the beautiful scenery visible around the rock with no line but the sky, made me realise it worth my steps I climbed and all the calories I burned along the way.

Top of Sigiriya

    

Endless view around 

7. Sigiriya Museum

Model of Sigiriya palace

If you visit Sigiriya never forgets to visit the museum beneath the rock.There, you'll realise what you exactly saw and be really inspired about Sigiriya with the videos they have arranged for the visitor to show how Sigiriya really was in King Kashyapa's time.

Make sure you never miss the wallpaper hang with the comments and drawing of the present locals which are so fun and cool.

The king who lived a super luxury life with 500 gorgeous queens with an enchanting palace with beautiful tropical gardens and water parks and even with an ancient version of night clubs is really an artist who created a masterpiece. Most important thing is the though he owns 500 wives, he only had children with one wife, the first queen!

Yes to Sigiriya?

Find the best deals and book your hotel in Sigiriya from here, so I'll earn a small commission without any extra cost to you ;).

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Also,go to this link where you'll find 9 best pieces of advice you should know before climb Sigiriya

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