The legend behind Sigiriya is perhaps the most popular story recorded in history. Sigiriya was built by King Kashyapa who was the son of the rightful king of the Anuradhapura kingdom, King Dathusena. However, Kashyapa was the son of the king’s concubine and not the queen, therefore he had no legitimate claim to the throne, especially when prince Mugalan, the son of King Dathusena and the queen was still alive.
According to the old historical record Culavamsa, Kashayapa with an over powering ambition to gain the throne, conspired to plot against his father King Dathusena. Chroniclers claim that Kashyapa holding, his father hostage demanded to know where all the treasure was buried. King Dathusena agreed to show him the treasure and took Kashyapa to the tank Kala Weva and claimed that this was his only treasure. As a result, he committed patricide by entombing his father alive in the bund of the tank.
Having usurped power, Kashyapa declared himself the reigning king of Anuradhapura. Prince Moggallana fled the country and took refuge in India. King Kashyapa ruled in fear as he knew that Moggallana would return and claim the throne. Therefore, as a measure to deter this he built Sigiriya, a citadel complete with gardens, rooms, pools and frescoes. The technology and skilled expertise required to have built a fortress of this magnitude on a rock has marvelled historians and engineers alike.
Sigiriya was Kashyapa’s home and for a brief period in history it was the capital of the Anuradhapura kingdom.
