It’s a wonder Shakespeare never wrote a play about King Kashyapa, because his story was every bit as dramatic as the historic royals of Scotland and England.
It happened about 1500 years ago in Sri Lanka. Kashyapa was the oldest son of the king, but he was not named heir to the throne. So he overthrew and imprisoned his father and went to war with his brother.
For protection, he built a new palace in a spot he believed would be impregnable – high up on top of a rock, and surrounded by moats. But this was no utilitarian fortress. Kashyapa had it ornately decorated with terraced gardens, murals painted on the walls, and the entrance was carved to look like a lion, with the gateway between its fierce claws.
His brother was not daunted. King Moggallana organized a great army that stormed and overtook the Lion Rock fortress at Sigiriya. Rather than die in battle, Kashyapa took his life with his own sword. Truly a royal tragedy worthy of Shakespeare’s pen.
Abandoned after the battle was lost, the site later became a Buddhist monastery. Today Sigiriya is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, noted for its elaborate terraced gardens, among the oldest in the world.
You Can Visit the Ancient Lion Rock Fortress
Sigiriya is one of the highlights of our November 7 – 17, 2023 Spiritual Sri Lanka Tour.
Here are a few more highlights of this guided small group program…
- Go to Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara (Buddhist Temple) believed to be the site visited by Lord Buddha 2,500 years ago
- See the oldest planted tree in the world, a cutting from the tree under which the Lord Buddha attained enlightenment, and perform a blessing ceremony
- At a village Buddhist temple, offer a “Dhana” gift of meals as alms to the monks
- Visit the former royal palace with a temple that houses the tooth relic of Lord Buddha
Get Full Sri Lanka Tour Details Here
Photo credits:
Sigiriya Rock Paintings: Antony Stanley from Gloucester, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Lion Gate Entrance: Cherubino, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons