______________
______________
______________
______________
Sigiriya fort was discovered by the British in 1828.
Inscriptions found in the caves at the base of the rock indicate that Sigiriya mountain served as a place of religious retreat as far back as the third century BC. Buddhist monks established their places here. In the fifth century AD Sigiriya played a part in the Sri Lankan political affairs, following the power struggle which succeeded the reign of Dhatusena (455-473) of Anuradhapura. Dhatusena had two sons, Mogallana and Kassapa. Upon hearing that Mogallana had been declared heir to the throne, Kassapa rebelled, driving Mogallana into exile in India and imprisoning his father.
Kassapa, as preparation for the expected invasion by Mogallana with Indian military, constructed a new residence on top of the 200-metre-high Sigiriya rock as a combination of pleasure palace and impregnable fortress. Kassapa intended the fort to emulate the legendary abode of Kubera, the god of wealth. According to tradition, the entire extraordinary structure was built in just seven years, from 477 to 485.
The long-awaited invasion finally materialized in 491, with Mogallana having raised an army of Tamil mercenaries to fight his cause. Despite the benefits of his impregnable fortress, Kassapa, descended from his rocky eminence and rode boldly out on an elephant at the head of his troops to meet the attackers on the plains below. Unfortunately for Kassapa, his elephant took fright and bolted at the height of the battle. His troops, thought he was retreating, fell back and he got cut off in confusion. Facing certain capture and defeat, Kassapa killed himself. Sigiriya was handed over to the Buddhist monks, and its caves once again became home to religious ascetics seeking peace and solitude. The site was finally abandoned in 1155. But , for brief periods it was used for military purpose by the Kingdom of Kandy in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It was rediscovered by the British in 1828.
http://goldensrilanka.com/places/cultural-triangle/sigiriya/
http://www.lanka.com/sri-lanka/guide-to-sigiriya-873.html
Trying to collect more information
I visited Japan in the last week of July 2010. Writing somethings from my personal observation and trying to collect more information on Tokyo/Yokohama to support and facilitate tour of Tokyo by Knol readers.Any addition to the content is welcome from knol readers and fellow authors.
Narayana Rao - 29 Jul 2010