Sigiriya (Sigiri) Graffiti

Photo: A section of graffiti at Sigiriya

Photo: Mirror Wall Where graffiti is found

The Sigiriya Graffiti dates from 600AD to 1400AD and consists of over 1800 pieces of prose, poetry, and commentary written by ancient tourists on the surface of the Mirror Wall at Sigiriya in Sri Lanka. Most graffiti refers to the beautiful paintings of the semi-nude females of the Sigiriya Frescoes that once covered most of the western surface of Sigiriya Rock. This graffiti confirms that this site was the residence of King Kashyapa, who ruled from 477 to 495 AD. The texts also suggest that the females depicted in the frescoes are the ladies of the king's royal court - the ladies of the harem. This graffiti offers a fascinating insight into the history of Sigiriya and the evolution of language in Sri Lanka over 800 years. The graffiti range from statements of awe, declarations of love, commentary, curses, laments, diary entries, or mere statements of visit ("I was here"). Many demonstrate a very high level of literacy and a deep appreciation of art and poetry.

SIGIRIYA - Book

Immerse yourself in the fascinating history of Sigiriya in this beautifully illustrated book. In Part 1 travel back in time and meet the key players who shaped the rock fortress's history. Part 2 contains a comprehensive Site Guide with hundreds of photographs and descriptions of the ruins.

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Written in a Sinhala, Sanskrit and Tamil, these early scribblers have left us priceless insights into the past. Of the six hundred and eighty-five individuals identified so far, twelve were women, over half identified themselves by name, many noted their social rank, and some even mentioned where they came from—towns like Weligama and Ritigala. The majority of these visitors appear to have been from the elite of society: royalty, officials, professions, and clergy. There were also soldiers, archers, and even metalworkers. Over 1000 unique words have been identified.

Sigiriya was the royal capital city of King Kashyapa for only about ten years. It was abandoned soon after the king's death and the royal citadel was converted into a monastery. There are no graffiti on the Mirror Wall prior to the sixth century. This suggests that visitors did not have access to the site for about a hundred years after Sigiriya was abandoned and converted into a monastery. As the monastery fell into hard times, it may have supplemented its income by allowing visitors and pilgrims to see the rather titillating Sigiriya Frescoes.

SIGIRIYA - Novel

Palace intrigue, passion, deceit, betrayal and tragedy. Set fifteen hundred years ago, this compelling novel weaves historical facts into a remarkably entertaining story of fate, dangerous alliances, enduring friendships, and forbidden love. Available in Ebook and Paperback.

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One reads "Hail! I am Vira-vidura Bato. I wrote this..".

Another extols:

A female visitor wrote:

A mention of five hundred frescoes.