“SIGIRIYA”

by Desmond Kelly ‘the Star of eLanka’

An unforgettable experience of mine, in a bygone era, was.meeting and chatting with a rather elderly Bddhist Monk, on the rock that was called Mihintale.

I have been extremely lucky in meeting some highly intelligent people during my life, but this particular Monk, whose name unfortunately eludes.me now, was perhaps one of the most amazing, well-spoken, educated people that I was fortunate to spend some time with. He spoke perfect English, while most of the other Monks around him could only converse in Sinhala. He spoke to me about the Buddhist Religon, about the “culture” of Ceylon, as it was known then, and one of the topics we spoke about was another “rock” that rose abruptly from the Plain, the Sinhalese call “SIGIRIYA”, the Lion-Rock, because, hundreds of years ago, it’s crest was carved to look like a huge lion, at the bidding of Prince Kasyapa, son of King Dhatu-Sena (A.D.463-479).

King Dhatu-Sena was possibly too strict a father who probably “lay down the rule” to his son to the extent that, instigated by a cousin and longing for revenge, he, Kasyapa, seized the throne, imprisoned his father and finally had him cruelly killed.Then it was a case of “the King is dead, long live the King (Kasyapa), although he came to the throne under false pretences.

Prince Moggallana, Kasyapa’s half-brother & the rightful heir to the throne (according to Dhatu-Sena), went into a funk and fled post-haste to Southern India where he raised a mighty army, over the next few years & marched upon Sigiriya, the rock fortress that Kasyapa had built (for himself & his concubines) , when he found out that his brother was “coming to get him”. To even climb Sigiriya, at the time, would have been nearly impossible. A huge, solid rock, large enough to house King Kasyapa, his family AND his concubines, some of whose “frescoes” adorn the walls of Sigiriya till today, at it’s crest. “K.K.” might not have been a very good man, but he was clever. He knew that, on the ground, around Sigiriya, he would have been soundly beaten by any army (his wasn’t too large), but on top of a huge rock like this, well, it was a different matter.

It was a “different matter” to Prince Moggallana, too.

Frustrated by the time already lost, he.ordered hi army to “take Sigiriya” at any cost, & “take the rock” they did.
Ultimately the “Parricide” (dad-killer) ventured outside his lair, he was killed in no uncertain manner. So ended the rule of King Kasyapa, and King oggallana took over to rule the Country from atop the “Lion-Rock”.

Nowadays, it is much easier to climb this beautiful masterpiece of mother nature. The scenic view from it’s apex is stunning. Superb “Shades of green”, all around, safe stairways keep you from falling off, but visitors must always beware of bees. Not the large ones that frequented the area in the olden days, but the little ones who swarm around to collect nectar for their queen. Also, a somewhat belated “thank you” to the man who first told me the story of SIGIRIYA. As I said earlier I have forgotten his first name.but I think his surname was “Thero”.

Desmond Kelly
Star of eLanka.