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.
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.
New stairs to the sky
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.
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...
Beautiful ladies on the wall