The main path then leads to the Sigiriya boulder gardens. The design uses natural boulder placements around the base rock to create a set of brick and woodworks. None of the original buildings survive today. Yet, the rock-cut footings on the boulders that supported the walls and pillars are visible. The boulder garden is asymmetrical. It uses the natural contour and boulder placements to create a high aesthetic effect that is almost modern.
Three natural caves are also identified as the garden’s features. They are the Deraniyagala cave, cobra hooded cave, and asana cave. Some rare fifth-century murals can be seen on the cave ceilings as well. An inscription here states that this area was used by meditating Buddhist monks since the third century BCE. This makes it the oldest archaeological site in the Sigiriya rock fortress. The famous architect Geoffrey Bawa was inspired by the ambiance of Sigiriya boulder gardens. He went on the design the Kandalama Hotel in Dambulla, Sri Lanka based on the ancient gardens.
Read more about Sigiriya Fortress
Sigiriya Rock Fortress | Sigiriya Water Garden | Sigiriya Terrace Gardens | Sigiriya Fresco Paintings | Sigiriya Mirror Wall and Graffiti | Sigiriya Lion’s Paws Sculpture
