Sigiriya value addition case study 4..

CASE STUDY 04
SIGIRIYA VALUE ADDITION
W.H.R. Peshala Premathilaka
DTTEHM – UOC Tourism

Quoted from……….
Sri Lanka Tourism Strategic Plan2017-2020

01. INTRODUCTION - WHAT IS THIS SIGIRIYA ?
SIGIRIYA is a town with A LARGE STONE and ancient ROCK FORTRESS AND PALACE
RUIN located in the northern Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central
Province, Sri Lanka
This spectacular rock Fortress was built by KING KASHYAPA, a son of King Dhathusena during
477 AD – 495 AD (05th Century). He built the his palace on the top of this rock and decorated
the inside with COLOURFUL FRESCOES.
The name of this place derived from the structure SINHA-GIRI; THE LIONS ROCK.
It is a POPULAR TOURIST ATTRACTION and it is probably the most visited tourist destination
of Sri Lanka, a most attractive place among Locals as well . It is also a site, which gets the
highest attention among HISTORY EXPLORERS.
Now the rock of SIGIRIYA a is actually a rock remained alone with the soil around it washed
away long time ago
SIGIRIYA is renowned for its ancient paintings – FRESCOES which are reminiscent of the
Ajantha Caves of India.
SIGIRIYA today is a UNESCO LISTED WORLD HERITAGE SITE. It is one of the best preserved
examples of ancient urban planning. It is within the cultural triangle and is one of the Eight
World Heritage sites of Sri Lanka listed by UNESCO
It’s a key site of historical and archaeological significance, highlights the great and PROUD
HISTORY OF SRI LANKA

02. THE STORY OF SIGIRIYA
(THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND)
In 477 CE, a king called Dhathusena ruled in Anuradhapura and he had two sons,
Kashyapa (son by a non-royal lady) and Moggallana (son by the true queen) Kashyapa was
younger to Moggallana, but he wanted to become the king first. Kashyapa murdered his father
and seized the throne from King Dhathusena, following a coup assisted by Migara, the King’s
nephew and army commander. The rightful heir - Moggallana, fearing for his life, fled to South
India, but vowed revenge.
Moggallana was very angry and he wanted to kill Kashyapa. In India he raised an army
with the intention of returning and retaking the throne of Sri Lanka, which he considered to be
rightfully his. Knowing this, Kashyapa ran away from Anuradhapura to Matale and found this
giant rock. Before occupation of Kashyapa, Sigiriya was a Buddhist monastary. This monastic
complex was consists of 38 caves which were in use from 03rd CE and 02nd CE. After king came
to Sigiriya, all Buddhist monks were moved into Pidurangala Temple. He built a beautiful palace
on the top of a rock and this rock was called Sigiriya. He built his palace on the summit of
Sigiriya, as a Fortress as well as a pleasure palace. He built many beautiful buildings, pictures
on the sides.The sigiriya was a Royal Citadel for more than 18 yrs.
Moggallana finally arrived, declared war, and defeated Kashyapa in 495 CE. During the
battle Kashyapa's armies abandoned him and he committed suicide by falling on his sword.
After his death Sigiriya again became a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century, when it was
abandoned.
In 1831 Europeans accidentally discovered Sigiriya. Jonathan Forbes – a major of the British army
discovered it on his way from Polonnaruwa. The site immediately attracted the attention of historians and
archaeologists, but only in the 1980s major excavations took place here.

IMAGINE !

03. SOME IMPORTANT INFO ABOUT SIGIRIYA
LOCATION : Matale District - Central Province, Sri Lanka
30 minutes drive from Sigiriya to Dambulla cave Temple
Rock is nearly 200 metres (660 ft) higher than the surrounding jungles.
Open Hours : open every day from 7:00AM to 5:30PM (last entrance at 5:00PM)
Designated as world heritage site : 1982 (6th session)
UNESCO Region : Asia-Pacific
Referred by locals as the Eighth Wonder of the World
People typically spend up to 1.5 hours here - A staircase of 1250 steps is leading to the
highest point of Sigiriya. The way from the bottom to the top lasts appx: 2 hours.
Because of the high temperatures during the day it is better to visit the place in the
morning. Wear comfortable clothing, take water with you and don’t forget to bring a
hat and sunscreen.
Entrance fee - Locals can enter the site after they pay a Rs50 entrance fee.
Foreigners will have to pay $30 USD. This will also grant access to the Sigiriya museum.

04. LOCATION / ACCESS
Sigiriya is located northern Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central
Province, SL 175 kilometers north-east of Colombo – the capital of the island, and 10
kilometers from the highway Ambepussa – Kurunegala – Trincomale, located between
the towns of Dambulla and Habarane. To get there by car you must take the track A1 or
A6. The best way to get there by public transportation is to take a bus from Dambulla -
There is a bus every 30 minutes starting from 7AM. The trip will take appx 40 minutes.

05. SIGIRIYA HIGHLIGHTS TO SEE :
ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS AND FEATURES
 SIGIRIYA WALL PAINTING AREA
 SIGIRIYA WAY THROUGH
 SIGIRIYA SKETCHY-PAINTING LINES
 SIGIRIYA MURAL
 SIGIRIYA LION CLAWS
 SIGIRIYA WATER GARDENS
 ANCIENT ANURADHAPURA FRESCOES AT SIGIRIYA
 SIGIRIYA STEPS
 ROCK AND RUINS AT SIGIRIYA
 SIGIRIYA MIRROR WALL
 SIGIRIYA ONGOING ARCHELOGICAL WORK
 SIGIRIYA OLD JUNGLE CITY
 REMAINS ANCIENT CITY SIGIRIYA
 SIGIRIYA POND
 SIGIRIYA CITADEL MOAT
 SIGIRIYA ANCIENT CITADEL
 SIGIRIYA SITE
 ANCIENT IRRIGATION SYSTEM AT SIGIRIYA
 ANCIENT BATHTUBS AT SIGIRIYA
 ANCIENT GARDEN POOLS OF SIGIRIYA

06. SITE PLAN

SITE PLAN
• Sigiriya is considered as a most important URBAN PLANNING site
•The buildings and gardens of Sigiriya show that the creators of this AMAZING
ARCHITECTURAL MONUMENT used unique and creative TECHNICAL SKILLS AND
TECHNOLOGIES.
• The palace is located in the heart of the island BETWEEN THE TOWNS OF DAMBULLA
AND HABARANE on a massive rocky plateau 370 meters above the sea level.
• Sigiriya rock plateau, formed from magma of an extinct volcano, IS 200 METERS HIGHER
than the surrounding jungles.
•The SURROUNDING TERRITORIES of Sigiriya were inhibited for several thousand years..
• It was designed IN THE FORM OF A HUGE STONE LION, whose feet have survived up to today but
the upper parts of the body were destroyed.
• FIVE GATES were placed at entrances. The more elaborate western gate is thought to
have been reserved for the royals.
• The MAIN ENTRANCE is located in the northern side of the rock

SITE PLAN Continued…..
• The fortress COMPLEX INCLUDES remnants of a ruined palace, surrounded by an extensive network
of fortifications, vast gardens, ponds, canals, alleys and fountains.
• The WESTERN WALL of Sigiriya was almost entirely COVERED BY FRESCOES, created during the reign
of Kasyapa.
• Sigiriya has WATER GARDENS, CAVE AND BOULDER GARDENS, and also TERRACED GARDENS.
• They are located in the western part of the rock and are with a complex HYDRAULIC SYSTEM, which
consists of canals, locks, lakes, dams, bridges, fountains, as well as surface and underground water
pumps.
• In the rainy season, ALL CHANNELS ARE FILLED WITH WATER, which begins to circulate through the
whole area of Sigiriya. Fountains of Sigiriya built in the V century, perhaps, are the oldest in the
world.

07. GARDENS
The Gardens of the Sigiriya city are one of the most important aspects of the site, as it is among the oldest
landscaped gardens in the world.. The gardens are divided into three distinct but linked forms:
WATER GARDENS
CAVE AND BOULDER GARDENS
TERRACED GARDENS
WATER GARDENS
The water gardens are built symmetrically on an east-west axis. They are connected with the outer moat on
the west and the large artificial lake to the south of the rock. All the pools are also interlinked using an
underground conduit network fed by the lake, and connected to the moats. A miniature water garden is
located to the west of the first water garden, consisting of several small pools and watercourses. This
recently discovered smaller garden appears to have been built after the Kashyapan period, possibly
between the 10th and 13th centuries. The water gardens can be seen in the central section of the western
precinct. Three principal gardens are Found here.
The first garden consists of a plot surrounded by water. It is connected to the main precinct using four
causeways, with gateways placed at the head of each causeway. This garden is built according to an
ancient garden form known as char bagh and is one of the oldest surviving models of this form.
The second garden contains two long, deep pools set on either side of the path. Two shallow, serpentine
streams lead to these pools. Fountains made of circular limestone plates are placed here. Underground
water conduits supply water to these fountains which are still functional, especially during the rainy season.
Two large islands are located on either side of the second water garden. Summer palaces are built on the
flattened surfaces of these islands. Two more islands are located farther to the north and the south.
These islands are built in a manner similar to the island in the first water garden.
.

Continued……..
The third garden is situated on a higher level than the other two. It contains a large,
octagonal pool with a raised podium on its northeast corner. The large brick and stone wall of
the citadel is on the eastern edge of this garden.
CAVE & BOULDER GARDENS
The boulder gardens consist of several large boulders linked by winding pathways. The
gardens extend from the northern slopes to the southern slopes of the hills at the foot of
rock. Most of these boulders had a building or pavilion upon them; there are cuttings that
were used as footings for brick walls and beams. They were used to be pushed off from the
top to attack enemies when they approached.
TERRACED GARDENS
The terraced gardens are formed from the natural hill at the base of the Sigiriya rock. A
series of terraces rises from the pathways of the boulder garden to the staircases on the
rock. These have been created by the construction of brick walls, and are located in a
roughly concentric plan around the rock. The path through the terraced gardens is formed by
a limestone staircase. From this staircase, there is a covered path on the side of the rock,
leading to the uppermost terrace where the lion staircase is situated.

08. MIRROR WALL
• One of the most striking features of Sigiriya is its Mirror wall.
• The Mirror wall is painted with inscriptions and poems written by the visitors of
sigiriya. The most ancient inscriptions are dated from the 8th century.
These inscriptions are proving that Sigiriya was a tourist destination more than a
thousand years ago.
• Originally this wall was so highly polished that the king could see himself whilst he
walked alongside.
• It was Made of brick masonry and covered in highly polished white plaster, the wall
is now partially covered with verses scribbled by visitors, some of them dating from
as early as the 8th century.
• People of all types wrote on the wall, on varying subjects such as love, irony, and
experiences of all sorts. Further writing on the mirror wall now has been banned for
the protection of the old writings. Today, painting on the wall is strictly prohibited..
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL COMMISSIONER OF CEYLON , SENARATH
PARANAVITHANA , deciphered 685 verses written in the 8th, 9th and 10th centuries
CE on the mirror wall.
• One such poem from these long-past centuries, roughly translated from Sinhala,
is: “Budalmi………… See Below :

"I am Budal [the writer's name]. Came with
hundreds of people to see Sigiriya. Since all the
others wrote poems, I did not!“

09. FRESCOES
• The western wall of Sigiriya was almost entirely covered by frescoes, created during the
reign of king Kasyapa. The paintings would have covered, an area 140 m long and 40m
high.
• John Still in 1907 suggested, "The whole face of the hill appears to have been a gigantic
picture gallery... the largest picture in the world perhaps".
• There are references in the graffiti to 500 ladies in these paintings. However, most have
been lost forever.
• More frescoes, different from those on the rock face, can be seen elsewhere, for example
on the ceiling of the location called the "Cobra Hood Cave".
• Although the frescoes are classified as in the Anuradhapura period, the painting style is
considered unique; the line and style of application of the paintings differing from
Anuradhapura paintings. The lines are painted in a form which enhances the sense of
volume of the figures. The paint has been applied in sweeping strokes, using more pressure
on one side, giving the effect of a deeper colour tone towards the edge. Other paintings of
the Anuradhapura period contain similar approaches to painting, but do not have the sketchy
lines of the Sigiriya style, having a distinct artists' boundary line. The true identity of the
ladies in these paintings still have not been confirmed.

Continued……..
• There are various ideas about their identity. Some believe that they are the ladies of the
king's while others think that they are women taking part in religious observances.
These pictures have a close resemblance to paintings seen in the Ajanta caves in India.
• Archeologists discovered the 5th century citadel, royal palace, gardens, parks and 1500
years old frescoes on the western wall of the complex, some parts of which remained
amazingly unaltered.
• Eighteen frescoes have survived to this day. The frescoes are depicting nude females
and are considered to be either the portraits of Kasyapa’s wives and concubines or
priestess performing religious rituals.
• Despite the unknown identity of the females depicted in the frescoes, these unique
ancient paintings are celebrating female beauty and have incredible historical
significance.
• In the old days it was polished so thoroughly that the king could see his reflection in it.

Sigiriya value addition case study 4..

10. THE VALUE OF SIGIRIYA
10.1 - AS AN ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE
10.2 - AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION

10. 1 - THE VALUE AS AN ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE
• Sigiriya is considered to be one of the most important URBAN PLANNING sites of the first
millennium, and the site plan is considered very elaborate and imaginative.
• Referred by locals as the Eighth Wonder of the World having a significant archaeological
importance which attracts thousands of tourists every year.
• The palace and fortress complex is recognized as one of the finest examples of ancient
urban planning. Considering the uniqueness of Sigiriya UNESCO declared it a WORLD
HERITAGE SITE.
• Sigiriya is an UNMATCHED COMBINATION of urban planning, water engineering,
horticulture and arts. The plan combined concepts of symmetry and asymmetry to
intentionally interlock the man-made geometrical and natural forms of the surroundings.
• On the west side of the rock lies a park for the royals, laid out on a symmetrical plan; the
park contains water-retaining structures, including sophisticated surface/subsurface hydraulic
systems, some of which are working today.
• THE SOUTH contains a MAN-MADE RESERVOIR; these were extensively used from the
previous capital of the dry zone of Sri Lanka.
• The construction of such a monument on a massive rock approximately 200 meters higher
from the surrounding landscape required advanced architectural and engineering skills.
• The gardens of Sigiriya are among the oldest landscaped gardens in the world.

• Sigiriya is one of the most valuable historical monuments of Sri Lanka.
Its view astonishes the visitors with the unique harmony between the nature and
human imagination
• Has significant archaeological importance and attracts thousands of tourists every
year. It is probably the most visited tourist destination of Sri Lanka.
• Referred by locals as the Eighth Wonder of the World this ancient palace and
fortress complex has significant archaeological importance and attracts thousands of
tourists every year.
• Foreign income (as a day excursion)
•Value addition from Sigiriya such as build up hotels in surrounded areas + Other
related tourist attractions & activities..such as elephant Ride………..
10. 2 - THE VALUE AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION

10. ISSUES FACING CURRENTLY OCCURING
AT SIGIRIYA SITE
•AS A TOURISM EXPERIENCE
•AS AN ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE

10.1 - ISSUES - AS A TOURISM
EXPERIENCE
Facing a high visitation pressure which is not good for site preservation
Not delivering the quality of tourism experience that it could.
No value additions to the current experience
No proper guiding based on the market segment and length of time
Guides with poor knowledge about the site and spreading wrong information
Not featuring the important attributes of the site such as Cobra Hood cave, motif
paintings; the surrounding gardens and the walled city and moat
Bad involvement of local community on the site.
Less of quality food outlets, souvenirs shops and other value added options
Building shops at unauthorized locations on site
No proper information centers
Less Sanitary facilities
Less of arrangements for accessibility
Less Government involvement for improvements and not utilizing the funds in a proper
way
Security & Safety issues of visitors

Continued……………..
10.2 - ISSUES - AS AN ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE
• Not having proper Preservation Plans for the site
(preservation from rain and other natural disasters……..)
• Lack of Researches for new ruins is surrounding areas
• Not having rules and regulations for the protection of site
• Less attention driven on site by archeological department/ related authorities
• Unauthorized behaviors of visitors which make harm to site.
ex:- flash lights, neon sign boards…etc
• Less improvement of the MUSEUM
• Lack of supplementary Readings about Sigiriya for Tourists, Locals, History explorers
and school children.
ex:- Books, in the internet, school books

10.3 – TOP MOST ISSUES FACED BY THE TOURISTS
DURING THEIR VISIT OF SIGIRIYA
•A poor standard of information, narrative, interpretation, and
presentation of values.
• Visitor services, signage and infrastructure are absent or
substandard, and packaging, presentation and connectivity
between sites is poor
•Visitor information and information centers are hard to find
and inconsistently presented and offer limited services.
• Some guides are overcharging
• Entrance fees different from nationality to nationality
Ex : SAARC country – USD 15 per person
China - USD 30 per person

11. SUGGESTIVE POTENTIALS OF SELLING THE PRODUCT
Implementation of PROCEDURES to CONTROL VISITOR PRESSURE and having a good
management of visitors on site.
IDENTIFY the opportunities and MARKETING TRENDS /PROMOTIONS to broaden and enhance
the visitor experience
Identifying the VALUE ADDITIONS to the current experience through improved interpretation,
including PERSONAL GUIDING based on the market segment and
length of time: from general information to academics to specialist knowledge.
SUFFICIENT PUBLICATIONS such as reading books, brochures, TV programs,
ONLINE PROMOTIONS / DIGITAL MARKETING through websites, mobile apps
Promote the site as an excursion THROUGH HOTELS
Proper LICENSE procedures for Guides / TRAININGS to improve knowledge handled by Govt.
Improvements to the existing MUSEUM
Include as lesson in SCHOOL HISTORY BOOKS to give a better knowledge for future generation
Placement of QUALITY SHOPS such as cafes, food stalls, and souvenir stalls, crafts and other
value-add options ….etc, but at the proper location without being disturbance to visitors
Improve COMFORT FACILITIES and AN INTERPRETIVE CENTRE
Reasonable ticket prices for tourists

Introduce a common ticketing approach, advance purchase, seasonal passes, low
seasonal passes, students deals and other packages
 Secure online booking and payment system
Placement of temporary cafes, foods stalls, and souvenir stalls during seasons…
Promote the places which currently not featured like Cobra Hood Cave, Walled City and
moat ect.
Improve infrastructure (parking, retail, ect……)
 Introduce national housekeeping programs
 Bidding system
onsite monitoring – addtitional staff
Visitor satisfaction surveys + systematic implementation of existing plans and projects
Awareness programs
Promoting through reprentatives of High End travel summits/markets - WTM

12. 1.STATISTICS

12.2. STATISTICS

www.wikipedia.com
www.sigiriyatourism.com
www,youtube.com
www.srilanka.travel/heritage-sri-lanka

LET’S ENJOY SOME VIDEOS !!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tHudTu7BXE&
t=2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJWeGVkFSIw
&t=68s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0oC-
qH64CQ&t=16s

THANK YOU !
OUR TEAM :-
PESHALA PREMATHILAKA
ROSHEN RANASINGHE
PESHALA PREMATHILAKA
WARUNA WICKRAMASINGHE
CHAMARA KURAMA
NAVITH NARANGAMMANE
LEENA FERNANDO
JUDITH XAVIER
SACHINI INDUKARA
SURANGI LIYANAGE
ROOYA FATHMA
Diploma in Travel and Tourism Economics and Hotel Management
University of Colombo – Department of Economics

Sigiriya value addition case study 4..

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