Unforgettable Trip #54 | Lion Rock (Sigiriya) | Part 2 | UNESCO World Heritage Site | Beautiful Sri Lanka

Hello Steemians!😎

I hope you are doing well. So last week I talked about a UNESCO World Heritage Site in my country that is Sigiriya or Lion Rock. So last week I talked about only a few parts and I hope to write about the rest of the details this week. If anyone has not read the first part, go here and read that part.

So what I am going to talk about this week are the things that I didn't talk about last week. They are,

• Frescoes
• Mirror wall
• Gardens

So without further ado let's move to the story,

Frescoes

Sigiri cave has frescoes of women and it is very beautiful. I was unable to send these as photography was prohibited. However, I will post here some images that I got from Google.

"The entire face of the hill appears to have been a gigantic picture gallery," noted John Still in 1907.possibly the biggest image in the world. The majority of the western face of the rock, which is 40 metres (130 feet) high and 140 metres (460 feet) long, would have been painted. The graffiti makes references to 500women in these artworks. But the majority are lost forever. Additional murals, apart from those onThe rock face is seen in other places as well, such as on the ceiling of the "Cobra Hood Cave".

Source

Despite being categorised as belonging to the Anuradhapura period, the frescoes are thought to have a unique painting style because of how they differ from Anuradhapura paintings in terms of line and application. The way the lines are painted adds to the figures' overall impression of volume. Applying the paint in broad strokes with greater pressure on one side creates the illusion of a darker colour tone towards the edge. Similar painting techniques may be seen in other Anuradhapura era works, although they lack the Sigiriya style's shaky lines and clearly define the artist's limit. It is still unknown who the ladies in these paintings really are. Regarding their identity, different theories exist. Some see them as the ladies of the monarchs, while others see them as women participating in religious rituals. These images have striking similarities to the artwork seen in India's Ajanta Caves.

Mirror wall

Another special feature of Sigiriya is the Mirror Wall which contains Sigiriya murals and poems written by people who visited Sigiriya in later times after seeing the beautiful palace.

Source

When the wall was first built, the king could see himself walking along it because it was so reflecting. Constructed from brick masonry and coated in a highly polished white plaster, the wall is currently partially covered in words that guests have scrawled on it. some of the phrases date back to the eighth century. But the majority are from the ninth and tenth centuries. Poets, housewives, provincial governors, and people from all walks of life inscribed on the wall. This is the only example of Anuradhapura period poetry that has been discovered.

Gardens

The claim that King Kasyapa built Sigiriya as a fort is challenged because Sigiriya is more beautifully built. Sigiriya is more like a beautiful garden than a military fort or a palace. It is completed with many water flower ponds.

The western precinct's centre area is home to the water gardens. This location features three main gardens. The first garden is a tract with water all around it. Four causeways, with gateways at each causeway's head, are used to connect it to the main area.

Two lengthy, deep pools are located on either side of the path in the second. These pools are reached by two small streams that wind around. This area is home to circular limestone plate fountains. These still-functioning fountains receive water from subterranean water conduits, especially during the rainy season. The second water garden is flanked by two sizable islands. These islands have been levelled, and summer palaces have been constructed there. To the north and south, there are two additional islands. The construction of these islands is akin to that of the island in the first water garden.

Elevated above the other two gardens is the third garden. On the northeast corner of it is a large octagonal pool with an elevated podium. On the eastern boundary of this garden is the citadel's massive stone and brick wall.

There are many more things to talk about Sigiriya, but I will stop here. Next week I hope to bring details about another rightful station near Sigiriya. I hope you enjoy my posts.

Gallery Time

Photo Topic	Sigiriya (Lion Rock) | Beautiful Sri Lanka
Device	Google Pixel 3a
Location	Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
Date	11/03/2023
Google Map Link	https://goo.gl/maps/EdVXX2y8Ra7e9C2J9

I implore everyone who reads my articles to make a trip to the tiny island of Sri Lanka. So, this concludes my brief tale. Please remember to vote the article up. I look forward to seeing you again with another travel tale. Until that Bella Ciao!!!

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Kusal Kanchana