Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Overview : The Water Gardens are the first part of Sigirya 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. Interspersed among the gardens were a number of palaces and bathing pavilions, and the entire area featured lush vegetation (thanks to the water system which fed the interconnected tanks and poo)ls. 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. The Minature Water Garden and Water Garden 1 are primarily bathing pools, the Fountain Garden is primarily a display of Sigiriya's hydraulics and is intended as a display, while Garden 3 served as the secluded Water Palace residences.   Miniature Water Gardens : Just inside the west entrance and just below the interlocking pools of Garden 1 are the miniature water gardens. There are are at least ...

According to inscriptions found in the caves which honeycomb the base of the rock fortress,  Sigiriya  served as a place of religious retreat as far back as the third century BC, when Buddhist monks established refuge in the locale. It wasn’t until the fifth century AD, however, that  Sigiriya  rose briefly to supremacy in  Sri Lanka , following the power struggle which succeeded the reign of Dhatusena (455-473) of  Anuradhapura . King Dhatusena had two sons, Mogallana, by one of the most desired and finest of his queens, and Kassapa, by a less significant consort. Upon hearing that Mogallana had been declared heir to the throne, Kassapa rebelled, driving Mogallana into exile in India and imprisoning his father, King Dhatusena. The legend of Dhatusena’s subsequent demise offers an enlightening illustration of the importance given to water in early Sinhalese civilization. Threatened with death if he refused to reveal the whereabouts of the state treas...