SIGIRIYA

 

Palace in the Sky

SIGIRIYA

A monarch seeks an impregnable citadel to establish his dominion and safeguard his family while fleeing the demons of his past. He chooses to turn an old monastery that was constructed around a massive rock into his citadel after discovering it. Thus commences the opulent and intricate building of the Palace in the Sky, an enormous undertaking that continues to confound modern engineers and architects.

King Kashyapa 

When King Kashyapa I (473–495 AD) assumed the role of supreme monarch of Sri Lanka, he had a lot to be afraid of. After killing and imprisoning his father, the former King Dhatusena, he had unjustly risen to the throne. Prince Moggallana, Kashyapa's younger half-brother and legitimate heir, had escaped to India to gather an army and avenge the usurper. The ambitious and power-hungry Kashyapa's violent acts had caused unrest in the Kingdom of Anuradhapura, which served as the seat of government for the Sri Lankan kings from 377 BC to 1017 AD.

Knowing that his hold on the kingdom was tenuous, Kashyapa was acutely aware that Prince Moggallana, his aggrieved younger half-brother, would return. He therefore made the decision to leave the city, Anuradhapura, which still had people who supported the legitimate heir and the assassinated King Dhatusena. In case his brother invaded, he looked for a suitable stronghold to defend himself and his court. Soon after, he discovered an ancient monastery encircling a massive rock that

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