My Eyes, My Words

"Sinhagiri", the Lion’s Rock, is commonly known as Sigiriya, which literally means “Mount Remembrance.” It is only now that I see the significance of both names to me. The rock resembles a lion’s head, while visiting it leaves one with a desire to return to it and marvel at its splendor. It is with pleasure that I reminisce about the unforgettable day that I visited this symbol of Sri Lanka's heritage, which once housed an unpopular King who killed his father. On a hot day in 2007, my family and I journeyed to this historical site and my jaw went slack as the great rock came into view. Around its base, we came across reminders of the fact that a King had lived here eons ago. There were many large rectangular ponds that once decorated the royal gardens. When we made our way to a shady area on a different side, we found the Cobra's Hood cave, which stunned me with its eerie resemblance to a real cobra. Then we found the first set of steps that we must climb to the summit. We joined a queue of locals and tourists as we made the slow, careful trek upwards. At one point, we had to be silent while crossing a bridge to one side, as the nearby trees were occupied by deadly hornets. We came across the Mirror Wall, named so because it was once covered in white plaster polished so well that the King could see his reflection on it as he walked. The wall was now covered in poems written in Sinhala, the Sri Lankan language, scraped into the plaster, by tourists from as early as the 8th century. Then we found the frescoes, pictures of beautiful women with flowers, which until then I had only seen in history books. Some say these are portraits of apsara (goddesses) while others think they may be women of the King’s harem. We continued further, to be struck by an awesome sight. It was the famous Lion’s Gate. This was a wide set of steps with large rocks carved into perfect feline claws on either side. There was once a Lion’s Head between the paws, dominating the entrance with its mouth open. It would have been exciting to literally walk into the lion’s jaws, had it not collapsed years ago and the pieces never found again. We walked through it and as we neared our destination, the steps started to look unstable and steeper. In the end, they were safer than they seemed and we found ourselves at the top. Where there was once a palace, only foundations remained. We were treated to a bird's eye view of the forests and plains below. We left it that evening with great memories.