Sigiriya Frescoes

Sigiriya Frescoes Sigiriya Frescoes Sigiriya Frescoes

The Sigiriya Frescoes were painted on the western surface of Sigiriya Rock, located in central Sri Lanka. Painted thirteen hundred years ago, they were the highlight of a massive palace complex built in 480AD by King Kasyapa. Today only a few paintings survive, in a small pocket half-way up the rock, about 100 meters above ground.

Protected in this small, sheltered depression a hundred meters above ground, they float effortlessly among the clouds. Some say they are celestial nymphs carrying flowers to shower upon kings and mortals below. Others suggest that they are queens and concubines of Kasyapa’s harem.

The ladies of the frescoes have been the subject of speculation for nearly one thousand six hundred years. They, in turn, have remained silent, smiling enigmatically, their secret intact for over 1,600 years. The names of the ladies and the artists who painted them are lost to history. Their legacy has survived for over half a million days, a testament to the genius of their creators and the king who commissioned them.

Who are the women in the Sigiriya Frescoes?

The rich adornments, sophisticated clothing, lifelike appearance, vibrant use of color, and the true rendition of facial and anatomical characteristics support the view that the artist drew his inspiration from the ladies of King Kasyapa’s court — his harem. The most telling validation of this view is that they all wear a delicate three-circled tattoo around their necks

The prominent but unobtrusive display of this tattoo, worn with pride, was meant to clearly identify these ladies as belonging to the king. They were ladies of the king’s harem, dressed in their finest. They were to be admired but not touched. For this reason, they were depicted in true form, voluptuous and desirable, but shorn of any earthly sexuality. They were not intended to be titillating. Depicted as supernatural beings they are portrayed with flowers to shower upon humans below. They were intended to evoke a sense of wonderment and to project the opulence and grandeur of Kasyapa the all-powerful god-king. They are a
Sri Lanka

Sigiriya Frescoes Sigiriya Frescoes Sigiriya Frescoes
【Text by Lakpura™. Images by Google, copyright(s) reserved by original authors.】

Sobre a Província Central

A Província Central do Sri Lanka é constituída principalmente por terrenos montanhosos. A província tem uma área de 5.674 km² e uma população de 2.421.148 habitantes. Algumas das principais cidades incluem Kandy, Gampola (24.730 habitantes), Nuwara Eliya e Bandarawela. A população é uma mistura de cingaleses, tâmeis e mouros. Tanto a capital montanhosa, Kandy, quanto a cidade de Nuwara Eliya estão localizadas na Província Central, assim como Sri Pada. A província produz grande parte do famoso chá do Ceilão, plantado pelos britânicos na década de 1860, após uma doença devastadora ter dizimado todas as plantações de café da província. A Província Central atrai muitos turistas, com cidades montanhosas como Kandy, Gampola, Hatton e Nuwara Eliya. O dente-de-templo ou Dalada maligawa é o principal local sagrado da província de Centrel. O clima é fresco e muitas áreas a cerca de 1.500 metros de altitude costumam ter noites frias. As encostas ocidentais são muito úmidas, com alguns locais recebendo quase 7.000 mm de chuva por ano. As encostas orientais fazem parte da zona meio seca, recebendo chuva apenas das monções do nordeste. As temperaturas variam de 24°C em Kandy a apenas 16°C em Nuwara Eliya, localizada a 1.889 m acima do nível do mar. As montanhas mais altas do Sri Lanka estão localizadas na Província Central. O terreno é predominantemente montanhoso, com vales profundos que o cortam. As duas principais regiões montanhosas são o Maciço Central e a Cordilheira Knuckles, a leste de Kandy.

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