At Beezerland, we strongly believe that visiting enchanting places will create memories that is magical and everlasting. One such mesmerizing destinations is the magical Sigiriya.
Built by an obsessed king named King Kashyapa, in order to safe guard his kingdom in the 5th century, Sigiriya, also known as the palace and fortress in the sky is an astounding achievement of engineering and construction and has been named as the 8th wonder of the world. The most striking part of Sigiriya, a terracotta and grey core of rock set in the cultural heart of Sri Lanka, rises a sheer 200 metres above a forested plain, its flattened summit sloping gently. A series of moats, ramparts and water gardens – bits and pieces of an ancient city – spread out on two sides of the rock, with the remains of a pair of giant stone lion’s paws still guarding the staircase that leads to the top, once occupied by the royal palace of King Kashyapa.
Sigiriya was named as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982, and is Asia’s best preserved city of the first millennium, showing intricate urban planning around the base of the rock, combined with sophisticated engineering and irrigation skills in the palace perched on the summit.
Following a power struggle between the two brothers, prince Kasyapa became king. Feeling anxious that his defeated brother would return from exile to take revenge, Kashyapa shifted the capital to Sigiriya and in 477 AD, he ordered the construction of the magnificent city around the base of the rock, and decreed that his palace should stand on top, a fortress that would keep him safe from payback. It has taken only seven years for, his astonishing palace in the sky to be built, complete with terraces and a multifaceted system of irrigation.
Sigiriya refuses to reveal its secrets easily, and you’ll have to climb a series of vertiginous staircases attached to sheer walls to reach the top. The artistic way that every inch of this kingdom is built, one can truly say that King Kashyapa clearly had an eye for beauty. The Sigiriya pleasure gardens include a series of symmetric pools, channels and fountains that still spurt water after 1,500 years. Partway up the rock are the famous Sigiriya frescoes, featuring 21 bare-breasted women that may represent celestial maidens, but were surely modeled on Kasyapa’s own consorts. Halfway you’ll encounter a pair of giant lion’s paws, part of the original entrance, which required visitors to pass through the open mouth of a lion. On the very top of the rock yields a dramatic view of the surrounding jungle and contains the foundations of the palace complex, complete with bathing pools.
