In 477 BCE, King Kashyapa, having usurped the throne, was fearful of an attack on Anuradhapura by the rightful heir Moggallana. His solution towers today, a few kilometres from Dambulla. The rock fortress Sigiriya is among Sri Lanka’s most iconic travel sites. At its pomp, Sigiriya – originally referred to as Sīhāgiri, the Lion Rock – was King Kashyapa’s home for 18 years until 495 when his army was defeated. During those 18 years, King Kashyapa transformed the fortress into a gallery as well as a garden – the inside walls adorned with intricately painted frescoes while the Royal Gardens around the complex hint at an engineering ingenuity that must have astounded the ancient world.
Today, the site attracts large numbers of visitors, both local and foreign, eager to view the frescoes, wander among the landscaped gardens, and take in the view from the top of the fortress. All three will aspects of Sigiriya will astound the first time visitor.