Cloud Maidens of Sigiriya
The girl with golden skin entices the mind and eyes
Her lovely breasts cause me to recall swans drunk with nectar
Graffito, Sigiriya Mirror Wall, c. 800 AD
The rock fortress of Sigiriya rises abruptly from the surrounding plains of north-central Sri Lanka, dominating the country for miles around. A massive monolith of red stone, so sheer that the top overhangs the vertical walls on all four sides, it looms 349 metres (1,144 ft) above sea level and 180 metres (600 ft) above the surrounding scrub and jungle. All but impregnable to surprise attack and even sustained siege, there are indications that aboriginal hunters first inhabited the great rock more than two millennia ago. It was not until the fifth century AD, however, that Sigiriya entered briefly into a golden age as the seat of Sinhalese power in mediaeval Sri Lanka. The story surrounding this blossoming has been described by the historian Zeylanicus as 'a barbaric tale of vindictive passion, romantic beauty and superhuman endeavour without parallel in the bloodstained annals of Lanka'...
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Her lovely breasts cause me to recall swans drunk with nectar
Graffito, Sigiriya Mirror Wall, c. 800 AD
The rock fortress of Sigiriya rises abruptly from the surrounding plains of north-central Sri Lanka, dominating the country for miles around. A massive monolith of red stone, so sheer that the top overhangs the vertical walls on all four sides, it looms 349 metres (1,144 ft) above sea level and 180 metres (600 ft) above the surrounding scrub and jungle. All but impregnable to surprise attack and even sustained siege, there are indications that aboriginal hunters first inhabited the great rock more than two millennia ago. It was not until the fifth century AD, however, that Sigiriya entered briefly into a golden age as the seat of Sinhalese power in mediaeval Sri Lanka. The story surrounding this blossoming has been described by the historian Zeylanicus as 'a barbaric tale of vindictive passion, romantic beauty and superhuman endeavour without parallel in the bloodstained annals of Lanka'...
See More Images: Click CLOUD MAIDENS (below) to see all related images, click related searchable terms for more specific images, or use the Search Box at the top of the page.
CLOUD MAIDENS , Cultural Triangle , Ceylon , Sigiriya , Polonnaruwa , Anuradhapura , Ajanta , Buddhism , Mural , Fresco , Apsara , Painting , Art , Women , Woman
