Tourist Map of Sigiriya Rock and its Surrounding Area

Pahala Talkote Vava Pidurangala Rock and Temple

Located 3 km north-west of Sigiriya Rock, Like Sigiriya Rock, Pidurangala Rock
Pahala Talkote Vava provides you with a mag- dominates the landscape with its distinct
nificent view of both Sigiriya and Pidurangala. silhouette.
It is definitely worth a visit. [A,B-1] Pidurangala was one of several rock shel-
ter monasteries established in the area
There are a lot of tanks (man-made lakes; around 3rd century BC, before Sigiriya’s
vava in Sinhala) around Sigiriya Rock. 1 brief transformation into a royal capital in
5th century AC. The Temple has remains
Since ancient times, tanks supported life belonging to several periods. At the base
and livelihood in the Dry Zone. Tanks are of the rock is the contemporary temple,
still used for agriculture, as well as for whose image-house is actually an ancient
washing and bathing by the locals. When rock shelter. The image-house is shared
you go to Talkote, please respect the cus- by a locally famous Vishnu shrine, which
toms and dignity of the bathers. is open for worship on Wednesdays and
Pahala Talkote Saturdays . [C-3]
Vava

Located just north of Sigiriya, the view of

Halmilla Vava Sigiriya Rock from Pidurangala’s summit is
breathtaking. One of the lesser-known places
Halmilla Vava is a tiny tank near Pidu- to take photos of Sigiriya Rock, it is well worth
rangala Rock. A part of the tank is now a visit.
swamp, and various species of birds
The route to the summit of Pidurangala Rock
converge in the mornings and evenings. is not well marked out for tourists. The trail
Trees and tree-trunks still standing in the starts inside the Temple grounds. On the way
tank provide you with lots of opportunities 2 up is a large recumbent Buddha image, dam-
to take good photos of birds. aged by treasure-seekers but now restored,
From the banks of the tank, you can see dating back to 5th century AC.
Sigiriya and Pidurangala side by side. Near the end of the trail to the summit, you will
The sight of two rocks reflected on the Pahala have to climb large boulders, so go dressed
surface of the water is truly memorable. Pidurangala Habarana for casual hiking, and ask someone at the
Veva temple below to accompany you or give di-
[B-3]
rections. A small donation or a purchase of a
donation-ticket is recommended.

Pidurangala
Sigiriya Herbal Garden and Forest Archaeological site Archaeology Museum and Pidu-
Arboretum (SHG) rangala Archaeological Site
Sigiriya Herbal Garden was built and opened Halmilla Ihara
Vava Pidurangala Pidurangala Across the road from Pidurangala Rock
in 1994 as an additional attraction at the Si-
giriya World Heritage Site. Although small, all Vava Museum and Temple are the remains of a monas-
common medicinal plants indigenous to the Signboard for tic complex, whose earliest phase dates
Dry Zone are represented, and endangered Pidurangala to around 5th century AC. It is rather
and rare trees and plants can be seen. In ad- Pidurangala Temple compactly built, but all five major monas-
dition to the Herbal Garden is an arboretum- 3 tic elements are visible: the Bodhighara,
park of major Dry Zone trees. At its back is an Pidurangala image house, chapter house, stupa, and
undisturbed forest with nature trails, connected Rock the central mandapa or shrine.
to forests outside the park. Ihara Talkote
Vava If you go to Pidurangala, visit this monas-
Benches of all types are available along the tic complex for some quiet and peace.
walking trail. They are not well maintained, but
if you are exhausted after climbing up Sigiriya You do not need a ticket. There is also a
Rock, this is an ideal place to refresh yourself. small site museum run by the Archaeol-
[B-4] ogy Department nearby. [C-3]

Sigiriya Museum Tree Houses

The newly opened Sigiriya Museum A major problem in this area is the conflict be-
is an archaeological museum, visitor tween wild elephants and local people. During
information centre, and research facility the harvest season, farmers spend the night
in tree houses, to watch out for elephants. You
in one. Managed by the Central Cultural can spot various kinds of tree houses around
Fund (CCF), the museum showcases Signboard for paddies and on roadsides.
the results of nearly three decades of Pidurangala Outer ra
mpart Inside Sigiriya Site itself, there are at least two
archaeological research at Sigiriya and New Town Inner ram 4
part
tree houses used by night watchmen. Try to
surrounding area. spot them yourself!
Herbal
T h e m u s e u m o ff e r s y o u a c o n c i s e P Garden
understanding of the history of Sigiriya
Sigiriya W Wild elephants move out from forests to vil-
Heritage Sorld
from prehistory to present. Films and
lages and tanks at dusk, and stay around until
special activities are planned for the
future. A stop by the museum before your
ite dawn. We strongly recommend you not to
walk around, even in villages, at these hours.
site visit is recommended. [B-4] Sigiriya
Museum Sigiriya
Lion Rock Rock
Hotel Main
Other archaeological sites Sigiriya Vava
Entrance
You will see several archaeological sites when
you travel on the Dambulla-Sigiriya Road. P During the reign of King Kasyapa, the
Ramakele (Mahanaga Pabbata Vihara) was Sigiriya vava used to be a huge tank,
a monastery, one of several monastery sites spreading out to the south.
in the area including Sigiriya itself. You can The current Sigiriya Vava is cut from an-
see its partly conserved stupa on the right South Gate other tank in the south and became much
side of the road when coming to Sigiriya from
Dambulla. 5 smaller. This is now a heaven for water
buffaloes, but it still a nice place to take
Near Sigiriya Vava are two other rocks which Sigiriya photos of the Sigiriya rock.
are, like Sigiriya, associated with archaeologi-
cal sites. The larger one, ‘Mapagala’ (‘Rock Flower inn
Vava The tank is also a good place to enjoy
of the Viceroy’), is a fortress with massive guest house bird watching. You can see both water
stone walls. Nearby is smaller ‘Petangala’, and mountain birds here. [C-5]
associated with the remains of a monastery. Sigiriya
[A-6, B-4, C-4] Nilmini Lodge Resthouse Petangala
Hotel Sigiriya

Lakmini Lodge Ajantha Guest

Sigiriya Village Diyakepilla

Ramakele Monastic Complex Toilet

Mapagala (Archaeological site)
Bus Stop
Temple

Other Sightseeing Spot Shop

Published by
Dambulla-Sigiriya Tourism Promotion Committee (DSTPC) 0 125 250 500 750 1,000 6
Inamaluwa Meters Hotel &Guest House
Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) Big Tree

Supported by Bird Watching Site

Japan International Copperation Agency Tree House
Photo Spot
A B C D