A trip to Sri Lanka is never complete without a visit to Sigirya, the famous Lion Rock we have all seen on the internet. It’s the symbol of Sri Lanka, the proud Unesco Heritage site and often considered the eighth wonder of the world. It is also part of the Cultural Triangle route of Sri Lanka along with Kandy,
Dambulla, Anuradhapura and
Polonnaruwa, making it a popular tourist destination, and perhaps one of the most visited in Sri Lanka.
The Story of Sigiriya
According to the Culavamsa (the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle):
In 477 CE, King Kashyapa who was then a prince, seized the throne from his father, King Dhatusena, following a coup. King Kashyapa who was the son of a non-royal consort was not a rightful heir to the throne. Monggallana, King Kashyapa’s half brother who was the son of the Queen and the rightful heir to the throne had to flee to South India following the coup, to avoid assassination by King Kashypa, but vowed to return one day to seek revenge and claim the throne. Fearing Mogallana’s return, King Kashyapa moved the capital and his residence from the Anuradhapura to Sigiriya.
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| The summit of Sigiriya provides a bird’s eye view of the surrounding area making it a strategic fortress |
A palace and fortress was built on the summit of Sigiriya which provides a bird’s eye view of the surrounding area, giving his forces a strategic advantage if attacked. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock, a gateway in the form of an enormous lion was built. It is this structure that gives name to Sigiriya which means the Lion City.
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| In the past, one would ascent the stairs into the mouth of a lion head, which has now collapsed |
In India, Moggallana raised an army to prepare for an attack on Sigiriya, and in 495 CE, he brought his troop to Sigiriya and declared war. During the battle, King Kashyapa's armies abandoned him and in defeat, he committed suicide by slitting his own throat. Having reclaimed the throne, Moggallana returned the capital to Anuradhapura, and converted Sigiriya into a Buddhist monastery complex, which survived until the 13th or 14th century. After this period, no records are found on Sigiriya until the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was used briefly as an outpost of the Kingdom of Kandy.
The palace and fortress complex is recognized as one of the finest examples of ancient urban planning. Considering the uniqueness of Sigiriya, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage site in 1982. The elaborate constructions on the rock summit and around it, including defensive structures, palaces, and gardens, are full of archaeological importance.
Getting To Sigiriya
The easiest way to get to Sigiriya from
Polonnaruwa is by going through
Dambulla. There is no bus to Sigiriya from Polonnaruwa, so you would need to get to Dambulla, then hire a 30-min tuk tuk or taxi to get to Sigiriya area. We asked the tuk tuk driver to drop us at Polonnaruwa Bus Station, where we took a bus bound for Kandy. The bus will pass by Dambulla, where we alighted and took a tuk tuk to Sigiriya.
Polonnaruwa Bus Station - Kaduruwela Bus Stand
Address: Ctb station, 55000, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka
Bus from Polonnaruwa to Dambulla: 2 hours (bus bound for Kandy, ask to alight at Dambulla), LKR 100 per person
Tuk tuk from Dambulla to Sigiriya Village Hotel: 20 mins, LKR 900 (sharing by 3 person)
Sigiriya is best visited in the morning to avoid the scorching afternoon sun, so I recommend staying a night in Sigiriya to be as close as possible to the fortress (alternatively, basing yourself in
Dambulla could probably be cheaper and have more options). We chose Sigiriya Village Hotel which is located only 30 minutes from Dambulla and 5 minutes away from the lion rock. We could even walk to the lion rock in half an hour but being lazy, we decided to hire a tuk tuk, where we were dropped right at the ticketing counter.
Sigiriya Rock Foreigner’s Entrance
Address: Thalkotta Rd, Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
Opening hours: 7am to 4pm, daily
Admission fee: USD30 per person (half price for children under 12 years old). South Asian nationals receive substantial 50% discounts on entrance fees, Therefore, if you have a South Asian passport, make sure to carry it with you on your visits.
Tuk tuk from Sigiriya Village to Sigiriya: 5 mins, LKR 300 (sharing by 3 person)
Recommended time in Sigiriya: 3 hours
Highlights of Sigiriya
Gardens
The gardens of Sigiriya are among the oldest landscaped gardens in the world. The gardens are divided into three distinct but linked forms: water gardens, cave and boulder gardens, and terraced gardens.
➢Water garden
The Water Gardens are the first part of Sirigiya that visitors encounter as they enter through the west gate. Relatively well preserved, they have been compared to the water gardens of ancient Rome and the Middle East. These water gardens were designed as a pleasure palace, an area reserved for the royal family to relax. Each garden has its own distinctive characteristics.
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| The water garden is the first thing you pass by as you enter the compound of Sigiriya |
➢Boulder gardens
➢Terraced gardens
The third set of gardens, the terrace gardens are formed from the natural hill at the base of the Sigiriya rock. A series of terraces rises from the pathways of the boulder garden to the staircases on the rock. The path through the terraced gardens is formed by a limestone staircase. From this staircase, there is a covered path on the side of the rock, leading to the uppermost terrace where the lion staircase is situated.
Mirror Wall
Frescoes
At the end of the pathway where the mirror wall, is a spiral stairs led us towards a cave.
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| The way to the frescoes |
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| The only way to get there is to climb up this spiral staircase |
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| Don't worry, it's safe and you won't plunge to your death |
Called, the “Cobra Hood Cave”, it features colourful frescoes depicting nude females holding flowers. The identity of the women were unknown but they are often considered to be either the portraits of Kashyapa’s wives and concubines or priestess performing religious rituals.
At one point, an area measuring 140 meters long and 40 meters high featured over 500 of these maidens. Today, only 18 frescoes remain. The subject of much adoration, many poets who have visited Sigiriya over the centuries have penned their thoughts, and most of these can still be seen today on the Mirror Wall.
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| Photo from the internet, sadly we cannot photograph this on site |
Despite the unknown identity of the females depicted in the frescoes, these unique ancient paintings are celebrating female beauty and have incredible historical significance.
Do note that photography is prohibited.
Lion Staircase
Coming out from the cave, a pathway led us to a large platform where two huge massive stone paws of a lion guards the final staircase leading to the top of the rock. The lion was what inspired Sigiriya’s name, which means “Lion Rock.” The entry to the staircase used to be through the mouth of a lion but the head of the lion statue collapsed over time, leaving only the paws today.
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| The lion staircase |
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| Need to climb up to the top |
Too tired from climbing up here?
Or too intimidated by the sight of the stairs ahead of you?
The platform is a great spot to take a rest before continuing your journey to the top.
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| Remember the wasp warning sign at mirror wall earlier? There's one here too |
The view at the top
After climbing the final staircase, you will finally reach the top of the rock, where the palace of King Kashyapa once stood. The terrace at the top covers 16 hectares, and only the foundation of what could have been buildings in the past, remains today.
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| Coming up from lion staircase |
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| The terrace |
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| This place is huge |
The area is huge but also extremely exposed as there were no shelters, save for some trees.
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| Found shelter under a big tree |
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| Perfect to chill under the tree, avoiding direct exposure to the sun |
Here, you are rewarded with a 360 degree view of the surrounding countryside including Pidurangala Rock. It’s not hard to see why King Kashyapa has chosen this place to build his palace.
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| View of Pidurangala from the platform |
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| A closer look at Pidurangala |
The whole area is great for photo taking and we took tons of them. Let's get the photos to do the talking:
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| This view point is every tourist favourite |
Descent
After spending enough time at the top, we made our way down quickly before the hot scorching sun melted us more. The descent was a lot quicker and we then grab a tuk tuk back to our hotel for check out. We then made our way to
Dambulla to visit the famous cave temple. More on that on my next post!
Some tip and advice
My biggest advice for Sigiriya is to start early. As the place has no shelter, you will be roasted once you reach the top of the rock around noon. The site is opened as early as 6am, so visiting before 7.30am will make your time there much more enjoyable.
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| See? Fully exposed top |
Also, bring enough water, apply sunscreen, wear a hat or cap and don’t forget to enjoy the view at the top!
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| With Fung and MJ, my Sri Lanka travel mates |
Getting out of Sigiriya
Sigiriya is best combined with
Dambulla Cave Temple in the same day, with Sigiriya in the morning and Dambulla Cave Temple after lunch. I recommend lunch at Bentota Bake House Dambulla where you can get affordable Sri Lankan curry and local bakery items. It is conveniently located along the way to Dambulla Cave Temple (only 6 minutes away), making it a great stopover.
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Bentota Bake House
Address: A9, Dambulla 21100, Sri Lanka
Opening hours: 6am – 10.30pm, daily
Tuk tuk from Sigiriya to Sigiriya Village: 5 mins, LKR 100 (sharing by 3 persons)
Tuk tuk from Sigiriya to Dambulla: 30 mins, LKR 1600 for half a day (sharing by 3 persons)
Final Words
Due to the expensive admission fee (USD30), many budget travellers probably ever thought of scrapping off Sigiriya in favour of Pidurangala Rock which is only USD5. I can’t vouch for Pidurangala as I did not have the chance (nor the time to include it in our itinerary) to make it to Pidurangala, but having visited Sigiriya, I must say it is a beautiful masterpiece and I was glad I decided to go for Sigiriya. If you have the time, perhaps you should cover both since they open as early as 7am.
Have you been to Sigiriya or Pidurangala? Which one is your favourite? Tell me about it in the comment down below!
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