SIGIRIYA

Headpiece for SigiriyaSIGIRIYA

Headpiece for Sigiriya

“THE LIONS’ ROCK” OF CEYLON

BY JENNIE COKER GAY

WITH PICTURES BY DUNCAN GAY

“AND after that, that wicked ruler of men (Kassapa) sent his groom and his cook to his brother (Moggallana) to kill him. And finding that he could not fulfil his purpose, he feared danger, and took himself to Sihagiri rock, that was hard for men to climb. He cleared it round about and surrounded it by a rampart, and built galleries in it ornamented with figures of lions; wherefore it took its name of Sihagiri (‘The Lions’ Rock’). Having gathered together all his wealth, he buried it there carefully, and set guards over the treasures he had buried in divers places. He built there a lovely palace, splendid to behold....“He planted gardens at the gates of the city.... He observed the sacred days ... and caused books to be written. He made many images, alms-houses, and the like; but he lived on in fear of the world to come and of Moggallana.”[21]

“He planted gardens at the gates of the city.... He observed the sacred days ... and caused books to be written. He made many images, alms-houses, and the like; but he lived on in fear of the world to come and of Moggallana.”[21]

That is what history has to say about the founding of Sigiriya (or “Sihagiri,” as it is called in “The Mihavansa,”) and all that it has to say; just enough to arouse our interest, and not enough to satisfy it. At Anuradhpura we had come across numerous traces of Kassapa’s father, Dhatusena, who was counted a great king when he ruled Ceylon fifteen hundred years ago. And we were curious to see the place where Kassapa had sought safety after he had killed Dhatusena and usurped the throne, and had been forced to flee into the jungle for fear of his brother Moggallana; so we decided to follow this bold, wild patricide to his hiding-place not by the exact trail that he took, for no one knows by what roundabout wandering he finally reached the rock, but by the more modern and convenient, if somewhat dustier, way that leads along the iron rails of the Ceylon Government railroad.

Sigiriya is southeast of Anuradhpura, and only about fifty miles away from it in a direct line; but around by way of Kandy, as we purposed to go, it is fully three times that far. It lies just north of the mountainous center of Ceylon at the edge of the great plain that stretches on the one hand to the Indian Ocean and on the other to the small waters that separate the island from the Indian peninsula.

A long, hot ride through the western lowlands brought us to Polgahawela, where the road we were to follow diverges at a right angle from the main line, and we began to climb the magnificent mountains; past rice-fields, so substantially terraced up the sides of the hills that they looked like monstrous and never-ending fortifications; past forests of palms and masses of brilliant flowers; past the world-famed botanical gardens of Peradeniya, until just at dusk we came into the lovely town of Kandy, which seemed delightfully fresh and cool after the heaviness and heat of the plains. Beyond Kandy the roadbegan to descend again, until at Matale it suddenly came to an end, and we were obliged to look out for some less-modern conveyance for the continuance of our journey.

SIGIRIYA ROCK

On the northeast coast of the island is a little place called Trincomali. For the convenience of this village and the scattered native settlements that lie between, a daily coaching service is maintained, and this we found we might take as far as Dambolo. The vehicle that was called a coach had a seat in front for the Cingalese driver and the mail-bags, and behind this, two lengthwise seats facing each other, which on a pinch could hold six persons, three on a side. Into this conveyance we climbed; in climbed also a shiny, round-headed Tamil, two wild-looking, magnificently dressed gentlemen from Afghanistan, and a mild and smiling Mohammedan. All the morning we rode, and at noon we changed horses and took lunch at a wayside rest-house. The Afghans left us here, and I felt more comfortable, for their mustaches curled in such a terribly fierce way, and their remarkable costumes offered such unlimited opportunity for the carrying of concealed weapons, as to warrant a certain uneasiness. We alighted at Dambolo, and the stage went on and left us. And yet Dambolo is a long way from Sigiriya—a long, long way in point of time.

The little rest-house that the Government places wherever one wishes to spend the night took us in and gave us a room, and its Mohammedan keeper advised us to use the rest of the afternoon seeing the rock temples that have made Dambolo famous. Obediently we went to visit these gorgeously decorated caverns, but, I amsorry to confess, they gave me no pleasure. They are wonderful, or would be if one were given an opportunity to look at them in peace and quiet; but one cannot wonder or admire or enjoy, or do anything but fume, with dozens of sleek yellow priests hanging about and holding out hands for Money! money!” at the opening of every door and at the entrance and exit of every cavern. This is a nuisance that the Government most certainly should correct, for it spoils the enjoyment of many of the island’s remarkable ruins.

VIEW OF THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE GALLERY LEADING TO THE CITADEL OF SIGIRIYA

We came down from the caves rather discouraged, but were somewhat cheered when we looked upon the decorations of the table that had been set for our dinner. An elaborate design was traced on the table-cloth by a sprinkling of rice that had been dyed a bright pink. The very holes in the cloth, and these were numerous, were turned into part of the decoration; for they were made the centers of flowers or the eyes of a bird, and one triangular rent formed the roof of a little cottage. The keeper of the rest-house, who seemed to be cook, waiter, and chambermaid, told us as he served the rice and chicken that he had engaged a bullock-cart to take us the rest of the way. It was late the next morning before the bullock, the cart, and the driver appeared at our door. A bullock about the size of a three-months’-old calf, an equally tiny cart, with an arched cover woven of split bamboo, and of course without a suggestion of springs, and a Tamil driver, his head tied up in the brightest of handkerchiefs, and with the ubiquitous sarong (only it is not called a sarong in Ceylon) dangling about hisheels, made up our equipment for the last stage of the journey.

THE AUDIENCE-HALL ROCK

The fabled tortoise was an animal of speed compared with that bullock. Had we made an earlier start, I am sure we could have walked the whole way; but the terrible sun made walking impossible, and we were forced to keep huddled down under the cart’s protecting thatch. We could count the seconds while the little animal seemed to stand poised after each step. Even twisting his tail did little good, and beating none at all. Along each side of the road the jungle formed a solid wall too dense for beauty. Occasionally a bright-plumed bird peeped out through the trees, and once a small panther-like animal showed himself at the roadside, and our bullock actually ran until he was well away from the danger.

ONE OF THE ENTRANCES TO THE GALLERY LEADING TO SIGIRIYA

We were hot and dusty and tired when at last we came in sight of Sigiriya, but in the presence of the strange impressiveness of this enormous rock, heat, dust, and weariness passed from our thoughts like a dream. It rose, this great shaft of granite, high above the trees, like some enormous mushroom sprung suddenly from the dank flatness of the jungle. Against the dusty green of the surrounding forest and the burned-out blue of the pale, hot sky its simple and majestic outline showed clean and sharp. But past all understanding was the brilliance of coloring thatmarked its walls. In the glare of the declining sun it looked as though a mighty battle had been fought upon the level crown, and the blood of thousands of warriors had spilled and trickled over the edge and down the cliff, and so set an indelible mark of fierceness and anger on the face of this somber jungle monster.

At first we could see no evidence of past human occupation; but by and by, as we drew nearer, we were able to detect a little spiral line, broken here and there, that seemed to be wound about the face of the cliff. What concerned us more at the time, however, was that we could see no signs of present human habitation, and we were in sore need, after the jolt, jolt, jolt of our wretched little cart, of food and a place where we might sleep. Our Tamil driver, while he belabored his bullock to make him hurry, had been telling us of the elephants and tigers that lived out here in the jungle, and we could easily see for ourselves that the woods were thick enough to shelter a whole menagerie of animals; so it was with the greatest relief that we presently saw a little rest-house in front of us, and leaving the small bullock and his black driver to come as they pleased, we took to our own feet and hurried on to the protecting inclosure. After a long rest and a long good supper, we took our “Mihavansa,” and, there under the brow of the great “Lions’ Rock,” read again the strange, fragmentary history of Kassapa and his crime.

“ ... And he (Dhatusena) had two sons,—Kassapa, whose mother was unequal in rank to his father, and Moggallana, a mighty man, whose mother was of equal rank with his father. Likewise also he had a beautiful daughter, who was as dear unto him as his own life. And he gave her to wife unto his sister’s son, to whom also he gave the office of chief of the army. And he (the nephew) scourged her on the thighs, albeit there was no fault in her. And when the king saw that his daughter’s cloth was stained with blood, he learned the truth and was wroth, and caused his nephew’s mother to be burnt naked. From that time forth the nephew bare malice against the king; and he joined himself unto Kassapa, and tempted him to seize the kingdom and betray his father. And then he gained over the people, and caused the king his father to be taken alive. And Kassapa raised the canopy of dominion after that he had destroyed the men of the king’s party and received the support of the wicked men in the kingdom. Thereupon Moggallana endeavored to make war against him. But he could not obtain a sufficient force, and proceeded to the Continent of India with the intent to raise an army there.“And that he might the more vex the king, who was now sorely afflicted ... this wicked general spake to Kassapa the king, saying, ‘O king, the treasures of the royal house are hidden by thy father.’ And when the king said unto him, ‘Nay,’ he answered, saying, ‘Knowest thou not, O Lord of the land, the purpose of this thy father? He treasureth up the riches for Moggallana.’ And when the base man heard these words he was wroth, and sent messengers unto his father, saying, ‘Reveal the place where thou hast hid the treasure.’ Thereupon the king thought to himself, saying: ‘This is a device whereby the wretch seeketh to destroy us’; and he remained silent. And they (the messengers) went and informed the king thereof. And his anger was yet more greatly increased, and he sent the messengers back unto him again and again. Then the king (Dhatusena) thought to himself, saying, ‘It is well that I should die after that I have seen my friend and washed myself in the Kalavapi.’ So he told the messengers saying, ‘Now, if he will cause me to be taken to Kalavapi, then shall I be able to find out the treasure.’“And when they went and told the king thereof he was exceedingly glad, because that he desired greatly to obtain the treasure, and he sent the messengers back to his father with a chariot. And while the king, with his eyes sunk in grief, proceeded on the journey to Kalavapi, the charioteer who drove the chariot gave him some of the roasted rice that he ate....“And when his friend, the Elder, heard that the king was coming, he preserved and set apart a rich meal of beans with the flesh of water-fowls that he had obtained, saying, ‘The king loveth this sort of meat.’ ...“Then the king went up to the tank, and after that he had plunged therein and bathed and drank of its water as it pleased him, he turned to the king’s servants and said, ‘O friends, this is all the treasure that I possess!’ And when the king’s servants heard these words they took him back to the city and informed the king. Then the chief of men was exceeding wroth and said, ‘This man hoardeth up riches for his son; and so long as he liveth will he estrange the people of the island from me.’ And he commanded the chief of the army, saying, ‘Kill my father.’ Thereupon he (the general), who hated him exceedingly, was greatly delighted and said, ‘Now have I seen the last of my enemy.’ And he arrayed himself in all his apparel, and went up to the king, and walked to and fro before him.... Then this violent man stripped the king naked, and bound him with chains inside the walls of his prison with his face to the east and caused it to be plastered up with clay. What wise man, therefore, after that he hath seen such things, will covet riches, or life, or glory!”

“And that he might the more vex the king, who was now sorely afflicted ... this wicked general spake to Kassapa the king, saying, ‘O king, the treasures of the royal house are hidden by thy father.’ And when the king said unto him, ‘Nay,’ he answered, saying, ‘Knowest thou not, O Lord of the land, the purpose of this thy father? He treasureth up the riches for Moggallana.’ And when the base man heard these words he was wroth, and sent messengers unto his father, saying, ‘Reveal the place where thou hast hid the treasure.’ Thereupon the king thought to himself, saying: ‘This is a device whereby the wretch seeketh to destroy us’; and he remained silent. And they (the messengers) went and informed the king thereof. And his anger was yet more greatly increased, and he sent the messengers back unto him again and again. Then the king (Dhatusena) thought to himself, saying, ‘It is well that I should die after that I have seen my friend and washed myself in the Kalavapi.’ So he told the messengers saying, ‘Now, if he will cause me to be taken to Kalavapi, then shall I be able to find out the treasure.’

“And when they went and told the king thereof he was exceedingly glad, because that he desired greatly to obtain the treasure, and he sent the messengers back to his father with a chariot. And while the king, with his eyes sunk in grief, proceeded on the journey to Kalavapi, the charioteer who drove the chariot gave him some of the roasted rice that he ate....

“And when his friend, the Elder, heard that the king was coming, he preserved and set apart a rich meal of beans with the flesh of water-fowls that he had obtained, saying, ‘The king loveth this sort of meat.’ ...

“Then the king went up to the tank, and after that he had plunged therein and bathed and drank of its water as it pleased him, he turned to the king’s servants and said, ‘O friends, this is all the treasure that I possess!’ And when the king’s servants heard these words they took him back to the city and informed the king. Then the chief of men was exceeding wroth and said, ‘This man hoardeth up riches for his son; and so long as he liveth will he estrange the people of the island from me.’ And he commanded the chief of the army, saying, ‘Kill my father.’ Thereupon he (the general), who hated him exceedingly, was greatly delighted and said, ‘Now have I seen the last of my enemy.’ And he arrayed himself in all his apparel, and went up to the king, and walked to and fro before him.... Then this violent man stripped the king naked, and bound him with chains inside the walls of his prison with his face to the east and caused it to be plastered up with clay. What wise man, therefore, after that he hath seen such things, will covet riches, or life, or glory!”

Kassapa was most certainly a wicked man,—the reading of “The Mihavansa” leaves no doubt of that,—but when we came next day to look over the remains of his city and to study this formidable rock that he had subjugated and turned into a citadel, we knew that he was also a man of genius. When he found that he was in danger from his brother Moggallana, whom he had attempted in vain to kill, he led his host of half-naked warriors out from the ancient capital of Anuradhpura into the jungle, seeking for a refuge. Whether design or accident led him to Sigiriya we do not know, but we do know that once having looked upon its four hundred feet of towering walls and upon its uplifted acres, he had the wisdom to see its possibilities and the genius to overcome the difficulties, to an ordinary man the impossibilities, of the situation. I dare say the abundance of his need helped his genius to speak; but no matter what his incentive, when he conceived the notion of building against this gigantic, cylindrical rock a spiral gallery which would place at his disposal the four flat acres that crowned the summit, he laid claim to the respect and admiration of ages.

The sides of the rock, which we had at first supposed to be perpendicular, are really concave, and perhaps it would be more exact to speak of this gallery as being built into, rather than against, the mighty column. With such surpassing genius is it placed that it literally makes itself one with the rock it embraces. To gain some sort of foothold for the masonry, deep grooves were cut in the face of the cliff, and from these a wall of brick and mortar was erected, and this in turn supported the great limestone blocks which form the surface of the road. This roadway was wide enough for four men to walk abreast, and was protected by a wall nine feet high.

It is hard to emphasize sufficiently the wild boldness of the conception and achievement. From base to summit the splendid gallery mounted. Breaking the gentle slope here and there to lift itself suddenly by a short flight of stairs, buttressed at one too abrupt corner, snuggling at places under the brow of the rock, and at the one terrace that breaks the height on the north side, it rose in direct steps between the paws and up through the body of a great masonry lion that Kassapa had built against the cliff. Finally it sought out the only place where the top does not overhang the sides for its last hurried dash before flinging itself triumphantly over the edge of the summit.

The walls of this gallery were finished with some smooth, shining white cement. It must have looked, when it was all in place, like a huge, gleaming serpent wound about the face of the rock. Of course at the present day much of it, indeed most of it, has fallen away; but the fact that, despite the washing rains that for many years have come pouring over the sides of the rock, one hundred yards of it remains in almost perfect condition is proof of its splendid construction. For the rest of the way the gallery can be traced by the deep grooves that supported its base.

When, with the help of these grooves and the protecting bars that the Government has kindly placed to give the adventurous traveler at least a chance to reach the summit in safety, we had climbed to the very top, we understood at last the unnatural markings on the face of the cliff that had before puzzled us. Kassapa built his citadel of bright-red brick. The whole crown of the rock was covered with his palaces, and after they had fallen and crumbled, the heavy rains smeared the walls with great streaks and patches of this brilliant stain.

PLAN OF THE TOPMOST PORTION OF THE INNER CITY OF SIGIRIYA. (BASED ON A CEYLON GOVERNMENT SURVEY MAP)The right-hand side of the map is the north side, the top is the west.❏LARGER IMAGE

PLAN OF THE TOPMOST PORTION OF THE INNER CITY OF SIGIRIYA. (BASED ON A CEYLON GOVERNMENT SURVEY MAP)

The right-hand side of the map is the north side, the top is the west.

❏LARGER IMAGE

The ground that lies at the base of the rock is not less interesting than that upon its summit. Over the wooded sides of the little hill that culminates in the great shaft, and spreading out into the jungle about its foot, are the remains of the city that Kassapa built for his army and followers. A strange city it must have been. The main houses were of brick with tiled roofs, but these more formal dwellings were supplemented by semi-caves tucked under the sides of every available boulder. All the large stones show notches, cut evidently to hold the ends of rafters and roof-beams. Up many of the highest boulders steps have been hewn, possibly to make them accessible as watch-towers, and at almost every turn one comes upon the indispensable cistern that made living through the long dry season possible. Some of these reservoirs were hewn out of solid stone, but most were built of brick and cement, and the one little stream in the neighborhood was dammed to form a large pond, which even now lies like a lake at the foot of the little hill. So there was an outer city interspersed with gardens, an inner city set on innumerable terraces up the slope of the hill, and surmounting all, lifted four hundred feet above the crest of the hill on its gigantic pedestal, stood the king’s palace and citadel. And about all the city Kassapa built great protecting walls. So three times over Kassapa fortified himself.

We tried to trace the main passageway from the outer fortification to the foot of the gallery, but we had only our imagination for a guide. When we came to the huge balloon-like boulders that form a gateway to a flight of steps, we felt sure that we had found the main entrance to the inner city. The face of these boulders showed the usual cuts for the support of rafters, and we could trace about them in masses of decaying brick the outer walls of what might have been watchmen’s lodges. Up these steps and a few feet farther on lies the stone that is called the audience-hall rock. This is the half of agreat elliptical rock laid round side down. Its upper surface has been cut to form a floor, with an elevated platform at the upper end, and about its edges a heavy coping, all cut from the rock itself. Here presumably the lord of the city sat to receive ambassadors and visitors from the outside world, as no one not a follower of Kassapa was admitted to the central citadel.

But strangest of all the Sigiriya ruins, as unique in thought and masterly in execution as the great spiral gallery itself, are the remains of a pictured procession that some believe once marched across the whole face of the cliff. The fragments of this great picture show female figures, larger than life, carrying in their hands bunches of fruit and flowers. They are painted on smooth, white plaster in colors that apparently have lost none of their brilliancy, and are so strongly drawn in face and figure that by some they are held to be portraits of the women of Kassapa’s court. Though this fresco may have encircled the rock, it remains now only in the protected crevices of its western face.

For eighteen years Kassapa lived and reigned at Sigiriya. He was as secure in his fortress as though he lived in the clouds. His army remained faithful. His colony was thriving, and yet in the end he fell into the hands of that dreaded Moggallana. One day word was brought to him that his brother had returned from India, and with an army was advancing against him. Instead of remaining within his fortifications and challenging his brother to penetrate to his citadel, he went down from his rock to meet his enemy.

Even then he might have been victorious had not blind chance interfered. In the course of the battle, Kassapa, riding in advance of his army, came to a marsh, and turned his elephant to avoid it. When his followers saw this, the cry went up that the king was retreating, and the whole army broke in confusion, and fled through the woods. Kassapa tried in vain to check the panic, and finally cut his own throat. And “Moggallana was pleased with this deed of boldness of his brother, and performed the rite of cremation over his dead body; and having gathered all his spoils, went up to the royal city.”

So Sigiriya fell from being a kingly citadel, and was given over to the priesthood. Why it was finally abandoned by the priests we do not know, but for centuries now it has stood in majestic loneliness watching over the jungle.

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