Talk:Sigiriya
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. This article has been tagged since January 2007. |
- Preparing some additional personal photographs and additional text for this article.
- Some Images do not appear correctly, not sure why. Shoka
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[edit] Deleted Images
Sadly somebody seems to have taken it upon themselves to delete User:Janakagoon@yahoo.com personal photo's of Sigiria as unsuitably licenced, despite the email posted on that users talk page committing them to the public domain. From memory the deleted images were all tourist snapshots. I have had had no response from User:Janakagoon@yahoo.com directly when I asked for clarification, but the mail message on the users talk page seems quite clear. Big time copyright violation --NOT.
Worse the images from the mirror wall frescoes have been attributed to Janakagoon, I believe incorrectly. I have real reservations about these images, these images are probably 20 plus years old, the original murals have decayed badly, and in two visits to the site, I have not obtained a usable photograph, so my belief is these have been scanned from a copyright source. I'd love to know differently. I've left them in place while attempting to locate at least a few reasonable correctly licenced images to replace them.
I have some further personal photographs that will replace some of the missing images, in all cases unfortunately worse than the originals. Sigh. Any other visitors to this splendid site got any suitably licenced photographic material they can offer to try and repair the damage?
Mindless vandalism at its worst....--Shoka 19:30, 19 December 2005 (UTC)
[edit] latest edits
I restored the reference to Sigiriya as purely a monastery. See http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2002/11/03/fea13.html for support of this interpretation.
I am not convinced, I've been there and some of the structures, particularly a poised boulder partially detatched from the rock look pretty military to me, but it is certainly "one interpretation" even if rather a stretch. --Shoka 20:17, 30 March 2006 (UTC)
Replaced some of the deleted images with images scanned from my own prints. Better than nothing, but modern digital photographs would be better.--Shoka 22:36, 20 June 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Lat, Lon ?
Looks like this has been added :)
Article has had extensive text added, lifted almost literally from this website http://www.lankalibrary.com/heritage/sigiriya.html
Removed plagurised text. Would be more approprite as seperate articles on Kasyapa and Datusena referenced from this article rather than swamp this article with disputed myth.--Shoka 21:22, 28 October 2006 (UTC)
Removed text followes:
[edit] Datusena and Kasyapa
Many stories are bound with this palace in the sky, the most popular one being that the Sinhalese King Kasyapa as the son of King Dhatusena. Kasyapa murdered his father by walling him alive and then usurping the throne which rightfully belonged to his elder brother Mogallana. Mogallana fled to India to escape being assassinated by Kasyapa but vowed revenge. In India he raised an army with the intention of returning and retaking the throne of Sri Lanka which was rightfully his. Knowing the inevitable return of Mogallana, Kasyapa is said to have built his palace on the summit of Sigiriya as a fortress and pleasure palace. Mogallana finally arrived and declared war. During the battle Kasyapa's armies abandoned him and he committed suicide by falling on his sword. Chronicles and lore say that the battle-elephant on which Kasyapa was mounted changed the course just to get to a better fighting position/place but the army misinterpreted it as the King fleeing. Thereafter the army abandoned the king altogether. Moggallana returned the capital to Anuradapura and turned Sigiriya into a monastery complex.
The irony of this story is that had Kasyapa stayed inside the high walls of Sigiriya, Mogallana would have never been able to defeat Kasyapa. Some people believe that the years of waiting for an invasion had driven Kasyapa over the edge, some think that Kasyapa had developed a guilty conscience after what he had done and wanted to fight his brother on an equal level. No matter what, had Kasyapa stayed inside Sigiriya not many medieval armies would have been able to occupy a defended Sigiriya.
The documents of Ananda-Sthavira, translated by Senarath Paranavitana, differs from the above story,
King Datusena's reign saw 15 years of peace and prosperity in the land. He built the greatest tank in the ancient city of Anuradhapura, Kala Wewa, which he considered as all the wealth he ever possessed. King Datusena now wanted to be the Bodhirajaya a title which the monarchs of Sri Lanka had held as protectors of Buddhism in Asia. However, "King Sri Kundya" of Java had assumed this title and stubbornly held on to it even after King Datusena sent word to him saying that it was illegal for another ruler other than a Sri Lankan to hold this title.
Disappointed, Datusena sought the advice of the Abbot of the "Mahaviharaya", head of the Theravada sect of Buddhism, who advised the king to practise the dasa-raja-dharma (ten royal virtues) which would enable him to acquire the status of a Chakravarti, which was higher than a Bodhirajaya. Datusena, being quite human was unable to practise it and found himself in a state of great mental distress, when he came into contact with a Maga Brahmana or Magian Priest of Persian origin, a Christian who had come to the Royal Palace.
This priest was to play a very influential role both in Datusena's and Kasyapa's lives. Datusena confided in this priest and he counselled the king saying that it was impossible for a human being to practise the ten royal virtues and that even the ancient Persian Kings had tried and failed. There after, they had tried to obtain imperial status by observing the ritual of Parvata-raja or Mountain King. To achieve this, the king had to reside in a palace built on the summit of a rock and rule from there.
The Maga Brahmana suggested that funds for building such a palace could be obtained if all the people in the kingdom gave a gift according to their ability to the king on his birthday as a token of their allegiance. They calculated that if they do so for seven consecutive years they could obtain the funds needed for building the palace. Meanwhile, the intrigues within the palace of Datusena began to grow. Sangha his second queen desired the throne for her son Moggallana whereas Kasyapa too wanted the same. Abroad too, the acts of fate began to intrude upon the rule of Datusena. Simhavarman, Datusena's brother-in-law assumes the title of 'Parvata-raja' in India and declares war on Datusena. He sends Datusena's sister's husband, Migara as general of the army to invade Sri Lanka. Simhavarman had purposely sent him at the head of a small army so he may be destroyed because he resented Migara and his wife converting to Christianity.
In the same way Datusena had decided that the only way to stop Kasyapa making a claim to the throne would be to have him destroyed because he had already decided to give the throne to Moggallana. Datusena sent Kasyapa to war against General Migara at the head of a small army. Kasyapa realized that his father wanted him dead and he made a pact with General Migara to stage a mock battle and to have Migara and his army surrender to him. Migara gave his allegiance to Datusena and promised to serve him.
The rivalry between the two brothers grew, when after this battle, Kasyapa claimed the title of Yuva-raja. Datusena made no commitment and Kasyapa assumed that the title will be given to Moggallana and decided to leave Sri Lanka. In despair, he went to see his mother for one last time and told her that he'd rather live in exile than be subservient to his younger brother. He had worshipped at her feet and had sobbed saying, "This may be the last sight that I may have of my mother." She too had sobbed and blessed him saying "May thy paths be propitious."
Kasyapa was informed shortly by General Migara that Datusena had brought a charge of treason against him because he had reportedly conspired with Simhavarman of India. This, in fact, was a false piece of information deliberately given to mislead Kasyapa and make him flee the country so that the people can confirm that if he fled then he must indeed be guilty of treason. Kasyapa fled to Madras and sought refuge with his uncle Silatisya bodhi. After seven months he gathered an army and prepared to invade Sri Lanka. He landed at Chilaw and proceeded to the Kurunegala District where he set up camp near the village of Sri-Pura. Datusena ordered his troops to set up camp in the village itself, that is in the rear of Kasyapa's army, and thus he forfeited the claim to immunity when setting up camp because he was doing it at the rear of Kasyapa's army instead of in front. Datusena's army was thus attacked while they were setting up camp and they were badly defeated. Kasyapa had no idea that it was his father who was at the head of the army. He was under the misconception that it was Moggallana. Datusena not wanting to see the outcome of this battle, cut off his head with his own sword.
Thus Datusena's reign came to a tragic end, indirectly caused by his first born. He died without the imperial title of 'Parvata-raja'. Kasyapa, stricken, paid last respects to his father and ordered that a stupa be built at the site where he was cremated.
After this battle Kasyapa marched to Anuradhapura and took over the reins of power without any opposition. He magnanimously offered friendship and the title of Regent to Moggallana who turned it down and fled abroad with his mother. Kasyapa tried to intercept them but he was too late. Returning from Batticaloa, he camped for the night at Habarana. Rising at dawn he had seen in the southern direction a solitary mass of rock looming high over the horizon. He had inquired about this rock and was told that it was called Aksa-paravata and that his father had begun to build a palace on its summit. He had climbed the rock from the northern side with a few others and observing the outline of the construction had said that it was too large and that it would be difficult to remain at the summit right throughout the year and ordered a small edifice to be built there. Kasyapa employed a Sinhalese architect named Sena Lal to execute his designs for Sigiri.
[edit] Building Sigiriya
[edit] Funds
On the advice of the Maga Brahmana, Kasyapa issued and regulated a gold coinage. For this to be accepted by overseas merchants he was told to proclaim himself as Kuvera or God of Wealth. Furthermore, if the merchants were to accept him as Kuvera, he had to reside and administer his kingdom from a palace on the summit of a rock. Though the Abbot of the Abhayagiri Viharaya had accepted his new imperial status, the Abbot of the Mahaviharaya who was not consulted by Kasyapa before embarking on this new venture, chastised him saying, "Kuvera was the chief of the Yakksa or demons and it would take a long time for a Yakksa to acquire human status again." Proclaiming himself Kuvera, Kasyapa earned the animosity not only of the Mahaviharaya but also of other overseas rulers.
Kasyapa also established free ports to attract more merchants to the ports of Sri Lanka. By this, other trading nations too suffered. Ship chose to sail to Suvarna-pura (Palewbang) from India, even after the Maharaja too issued a gold coinage. Angered by the loss of trade for his nation, he summoned Kasyapa's brother Moggallana and told him that he would sponsor an army to fight his brother if he promised, in the event he succeeded to defeat Kasyapa to discontinue the use of a gold coinage and abandon Sigiri and rule once more from Anuradhapura. Moggallana agreed to do this.
[edit] The Sky Palace
An ancient Sinhalese guide book called the 'Sihigiri Vihara' found in the library of the Maharaja at Suvarna-pura describes this rock and its palace in great detail. It describes the edifice constructed at the summit to have been made only for the use of a couple. No one was allowed to climb there other than King Kasyapa and his Queen. This edifice is described as a mansion with several landscaped gardens and a beautiful pond called Dharani with aquatic flowers. It was always full of water even in the dry season as a mechanism conducted water there.
It also gives a wonderful description of the lion figure. The forepart of a lion had been there but now only the massive paws exist. The rock above the lion figure had painted images of Kasyapa and his father. The plateau in front of the lion figure was known as the plateau of Red Arsenic.
This guide book also mentions the gallery and its protective mirror wall whose shining surface was obtained by the use of some mineral which only Sri Lanka possessed at that time.
Above the gallery were the beautiful frescos or 'Sigiri Apsaras' painted in the form of cloud damsels and Lightning Princesses.
The western and southern slopes were divided into terraces with dwelling places for the maids, members of the body-guard and concubines of Kasyapa, supposedly 500. On the western slope there had been two flights of stairs to climb the Sigiri rock, one which passed a cave which was believed to have been a shrine for the goddess Abhrasthita (Aphrodite). A figurine had been discovered there in the time of King Parakramabahu.
There had also been a theatre with seats carved on to the rock. Tradition says that many ancient Sinhalese plays were first performed here during Kasyapa's reign.
A cave below a boulder of stone which has the appearance of the hood of a cobra, had the paintings of Kas-yapa's biography which were eventually erased by his brother Moggallana.
There had also been fountains for the use of the harem. According to legend, Kasyapa used to watch them bathing from his mansion. There had also been a pavilion where these damsels used to leave their clothes before bathing and sometimes dried themselves there naked.
Ananda-Sthavira in his essay 'The two sons of Datusena' says that "King Kasyapa brought honour to the Sinhala Kingdom. Though the mercantile undertakings initiated by King Kasyspa were discontinued by King Maudgalyana, they were again started and continued by Sinhala Kings after King Maudgalyana. Vast wealth accrued to the Sinhala Kingdom through these mercantile undertakings."
Kasyapa also renovated the ancient monastery named Isirimana (sometimes called Vessagiri) and bequeathed it to the Mahaviharaya, even though he himself was an adherent of the Mahayana doctrines. The Mahavihara was endlessly opposed to Kasyapa not only because he had proclaimed himself as Kuvera but also because he followed the 'Mahayana' sect and not the 'Theravada' sect.
[edit] Moggallana
The son of the Maga Brahmana and Kasyapa fell out and after the death of his father, he left the palace and went abroad. There he conspired with Kasyapa's brother Moggallana. The Maga Brahmana (Jr) obtained a promise from Moggallana that if he ever assassinated Kasyapa, then he must convert to Christianity. He returned to Sigiriya and told General Migara about Moggallana's promise. He then told Migara that his sister, the wife of Kasyapa must be the one to kill him. Migara's sister agreed to kill Kasyapa if she was assured of never being accused of his murder.
She had then persuaded Kasyapa to climb to the summit where they were to spend the night alone together. In the night the king's attendants were summoned by her and was told that the king was ill. They carried Kasyapa down to the plateau of Red Arsenic where the physician proclaimed him dead. The queen may have poisoned him.
Ananda-Sthavira in his narrative says that "There was a great commotion at the city of Simhagiri on the death of King Kasyapa." Kasyapa passed away after 18 years on the throne, in the palace in the sky that he had built. In his book of verse titled "The Sigiriyan King" (1973) V. Ariyaratnam makes the following to be the dying words of the God-King Kasyapa.
"Oh Sigiri, my sanctuary in the sky."
After the king's death the commander-in-chief of the garrison at Sigiri, General Sulaksmana, installed the son of Kasyapa, Datusena, on the throne and administered his kingdom in his name. Eventually this General was defeated in battle by Moggallana. He died like Kasyapa's father by beheading himself. Moggallana seized Sigiri and abandoned it as the capital. He later administered the kingdom from Anuradhapura, as in keeping with the promise made to the Maharaja of Suvarnapura. Moggallana later married Kasyapa's widow. Kasyapa's son fled to India, where he died in exile.
I've made one minor grammatical correction to the tenth paragraph. There was a typo.
[edit] Removed criticism of the access to the top of Sigiriya
Removed some bitter comments about the access stairway. They unfortunately have a grain of truth. Though stable the stairway is exceedingly exposed and the handrails very low. Obviously somebody did not enjoy the climb. Comments not approprate to the article though.
On both occasions I have visited there have been visitors who baulked at the foot of the Lion steps and refused to make the final climb to the top of the rock. I can see their point, it terrifes me, but I'm acrophobic. That I've made it twice is some indication of the view from the top.
I've reviewed what is said in the article about the ruins at the top of the rock, and I believe that the description is accurate. Deciding if the remains justify the terrors of the stairway is very much a personal choice. The article has photographs to help you decide.
Unsure if I should add a more explicit warning about the stairway to the article, the description of the staircase as airy and the inclusion of the photographs with people for scale should give warning of what the visitor is facing.
My information on the sites is also several years old. When I visited the site the stairway was traversed by hundreds of people every day. Recent unbiased updates appreciated. Has the safety of that stair degenerated ? --Shoka 21:59, 17 January 2007 (UTC)
