Excursion to Sigiriya

“Lion Rock” is the highlight of Sri Lanka. 

Sigiriya – the path to “Lion Rock” is not for people with a fear of heights or claustrophobia. The climb leads you higher and higher and the sun shines stronger and stronger. You can hardly suppress the feeling of vertigo as you peek down over the edge. The narrow stairs don’t hinder the hundreds of daily visitors that come each day. Those who make it to the top are greeted with a limitless view of the jungle.

From a distance “Lion Rock” looks like a huge block. The reddish-brown monolith stretches over 200 meters over the flat green landscape. Over 1,500 years ago a king named Kasayapa built his castle upon “Lion Rock”. Within 7 years an entire city was created upon it including ramparts, ditches and water gardens at the food of the mountain.

The women in the clouds

Kasapaya built his castle amongst the clouds, stories that have been passed down say that he wanted to live as close to heaven as possible. Later on it is believe that a monastery of Buddhist monks inhabited Sigiriya. By 1982 the remains of the city were named part of the World Heritage Site. “Lion Rock” takes its name from the giant lion painted on the entrance of the castle.

On the arduous path young men can be found offering their support in exchange for a small payment. They guide uncertain visitors to the top safely passing by the “women in the clouds”. The frescoes are over 1,500 years old and show a slim, bare-breasted women. Wether a portrayal of nymphs or Kasayapa ladies remains a mystery.