Image title: Miniature Water Garden

Photograph of the “Miniature Water Garden” of the Sigiriya rock fortress and archaeological site. In Sanskrit this would be known as “kṣudra-jala-udyāna [ksudra-jala-udyana]”.

English text:

The “miniature” water garden—This "miniature" garden is an elaborate network of water pavilions, pools, courtyards and water courses. There are five units in this garden, with buildings surrounded by pools. The pools have pebbled or polished marble floors which were covered by shallow, slowly moving water.

This garden belongs to more than one phase of construction. It was laid out in the last quarter of the 5th Century, abandoned and again partially built over in the last phases of the post-Kasyapan period, probably between the 10th and 13th centuries.

A similar garden lies buried to the north. This is an "echo" or "twin" of the present garden in the south. In keeping with the policy of the Sigiriya Cultural Triangie Project this northern garden is left unexcavated for future investigations.

Sinhala text (not proofread):

ක්ෂුද්ර ජල උද්යානය [කුඩා ජල උද්‍යානය]—මෙම කුඩා උද්‍යානය ජල ක්‍රීඩා මණ්ඩප පොකුණු සහ ජල මාර්ග වලින් සුසැඳි විසිතුරු උද්‍යාන පද්ධතියකි. පොකුණු වලින් වට වූ ගොඩනැගිලි සහිත මෙම උද්‍යානයේ ඒකක පහකි. එම පොකුණු. නොගැඹුරු වූද සෙමෙන් ගලා යන්නා වූ ජලයෙන් වැසුණු. බොරළු යොදන ලද හෝ ඔප් නංවන ලද කිරිගරුඩ පතුලින් සමන්විතය.

මෙම උද්‍යානය ඉදිකිරීම් අවදි එකකට වඩා අයත් වේ. 5 වැනි සියවසේ අග කර්තුවේදී සැලසුම් කරනු ලැබ. නැවත සාදා අතහැර දමන ලදුව. සමහර විට පශ්චාත් කාශ්‍යප සමයේ අවසන් භාගයේ දී එනම් 10 වැනි සහ 13 වැනි සියවස් අතර කාලය තුළ නැවතත් අර්ධ වශයෙන් ගොඩනඟන ලදී.

මෙබඳුම උද්‍යානයක් උතුරු දිසාවට වෙන්නට පසින් යට වී තිබේ. මෙය දකුණේ දැනට ඇති උද්‍යානයේ ම පිළිබිඹුවක් හෝ එහි ම නිවුත් උද්‍යානයකි. සීගිරි සංස්කෘතික ත්‍රිකෝණ ව්‍යාපෘතියේ ප්‍රතිපත්තිය අනුව අනාගත පර්යේෂණ සඳහා මෙම උතුරු උද්‍යානය කැණීම් නොකොට තබා ඇත.

Sinhala Transcription:

kṣudra jala udyānaya [kuḍā jala udyānaya]—mema kuḍā udyānaya jala krīḍā maṇḍapa pokuṇu saha jala mārga valin susændi visituru udyāna paddhatiyaki. pokuṇu valin vaṭa vū goḍanægili sahita mema udyānayē ēkaka pahaki. ema pokuṇu. nogæḅuru vūda semen galā yannā vū jalayen væsuṇu. boraḷu yodana lada hō op naṅvana lada kirigaruḍa patulin samanvitaya.

mema udyānaya idikirīm avadi ekakaṭa vaḍā ayat vē. 5 væni siyavasē aga kartuvēdī sælasum karanu læba. nævata sādā atahæra damana laduva. samahara viṭa paśchāt kāśyapa samayē avasan bhāgayē dī enam 10 væni saha 13 væni siyavas atara kālaya tuḷa nævatat ardha vaśayen goḍanaṅgana ladī.

mebanduma udyānayak uturu disāvaṭa vennaṭa pasin yaṭa vī tibē. meya dakuṇē dænaṭa æti udyānayē ma piḷibiḅuvak hō ehi ma nivut udyānayaki. sīgiri saṅskrutika trikōṇa vyāprutiyē pratipattiya anuva anāgata paryēṣaṇa sandahā mema uturu udyānaya kæṇīm nokoṭa tabā æta.

Sinhala Transcription:

kshudra jala udyanaya [kuda jala udyanaya]—mema kuda udyanaya jala krida mandapa pokunu saha jala marga valin susandi visituru udyana paddhatiyaki. pokunu valin vata vu godanagili sahita mema udyanaye ekaka pahaki. ema pokunu. nogaḅuru vuda semen gala yanna vu jalayen vasunu. boralu yodana lada ho op nanvana lada kirigaruda patulin samanvitaya.

mema udyanaya idikirim avadi ekakata vada ayat ve. 5 vani siyavase aga kartuvedi salasum karanu laba. navata sada atahara damana laduva. samahara vita pashchat kashyapa samaye avasan bhagaye di enam 10 vani saha 13 vani siyavas atara kalaya tula navatat ardha vashayen godanangana ladi.

mebanduma udyanayak uturu disavata vennata pasin yata vi tibe. meya dakune danata ati udyanaye ma pilibiḅuvak ho ehi ma nivut udyanayaki. sigiri sanskrutika trikona vyaprutiye pratipattiya anuva anagata paryeshana sandaha mema uturu udyanaya kanim nokota taba ata.

English translation of Sinhala text [Automated]:

Micro Water Park [Mini Water Park]—This mini park is an ornamental garden system complete with water sports pavilions ponds and waterways. The park has five units with buildings surrounded by ponds. Those ponds. Covered by shallow but slowly flowing water. Composed of graveled or polished marble soles.

This park belongs to more than one construction phase. It was designed in the late 5th century. Rebuilt and abandoned. It was partially rebuilt again sometime between the 10th and 13th centuries in the latter half of the post-Kashyapa period.

A garden like this has been submerged in the north direction. This is either a reflection of the existing garden in the south or a new garden in its own right. As per the policy of the Sigiri Cultural Triangle Project, this northern park has been left unexcavated for future research.

Tamil text (not proofread):

சிறிய நீர்ப் பூங்கா [நுண்ணிய நீர்த் தோட்டம்]—இந்த “நுண்ணிய" தோட்டம், நீர் மாடங்கள், நீர் நிலையங்கள், முற்றங்கள், நீரோட்டங்கள் என்பவற்றின் நுட்பமானதொரு வலையமைப்பாகும். இத்தோட்டத்தில் நீர் நிலைகளால் சூழப்பட்ட கட்டடங்களைக் கொண்ட ஐந்து கூறுகள் உள்ளன. கூழாங்கற்கள் அல்லது மெருகேற்றப்பட்ட பளிங்குக் கற்கள் பதிக்கப்பட்ட அடித்தளங்களைக் கொண்ட இந்நீர் நிலைகளில் ஆழமற்ற நீர் மெல்ல அசைந்தோடும்.

இத்தோட்டம் பல்வேறு காலகட்டங்களில் நிர்மாணிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இது ஐந்தாம் நூற்றாண்டின் இறுதிக் காலாண்டுகளில் அமைக்கப்பட்டு, பின்னர் கவனிப்பாரற்றுக் கைவிடப்பட்டு மீண்டும் காசியப்பன் காலத்துக்குப் பிற்பட்ட இறுதிக் காலகட்டப்ளில், பெரும்பாலும் 10ஆம் 13ஆம் நூற்றாண்டுகளுக்கிடையில் அரைகுறையாகக் கட்டப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இதையொத்த தோட்டமொன்று வடக்கில் மண்ணில் புதைந்து கிடக்கின்றது. இது தற்போது தெற்கிலுள்ள தோட்டத்தின் “எதிரொலி” அல்லது “இரட்டை" ஆகும். சிகிரியா கலாசார முக்கோணக் கருத்திட்டத்தின் கொள்கைக்கிணங்க வடக்கிலுள்ள இத்தோட்டம் அகழ்வாராய்ச்சி செய்யப்படாது எதிர்கால ஆய்வுகளுக்கென விடப்பட்டுள்ளது.

Tamil Transcription:

ciṟiya nīrp pūṅkā [nuṇṇiya nīrt tōṭṭam]—inta “nuṇṇiya" tōṭṭam, nīr māṭaṅkaḷ, nīr nilaiyaṅkaḷ, muṟṟaṅkaḷ, nīrōṭṭaṅkaḷ eṉpavaṟṟiṉ nuṭpamāṉatoru valaiyamaippākum. ittōṭṭattil nīr nilaikaḷāl cūḻappaṭṭa kaṭṭaṭaṅkaḷaik koṇṭa aintu kūṟukaḷ uḷḷaṉa. kūḻāṅkaṟkaḷ allatu merukēṟṟappaṭṭa paḷiṅkuk kaṟkaḷ patikkappaṭṭa aṭittaḷaṅkaḷaik koṇṭa innīr nilaikaḷil āḻamaṟṟa nīr mella acaintōṭum.

ittōṭṭam palvēṟu kālakaṭṭaṅkaḷil nirmāṇikkappaṭṭuḷḷatu. itu aintām nūṟṟāṇṭiṉ iṟutik kālāṇṭukaḷil amaikkappaṭṭu, piṉṉar kavaṉippāraṟṟuk kaiviṭappaṭṭu mīṇṭum kāciyappaṉ kālattukkup piṟpaṭṭa iṟutik kālakaṭṭapḷil, perumpālum 10ām 13ām nūṟṟāṇṭukaḷukkiṭaiyil araikuṟaiyākak kaṭṭappaṭṭuḷḷatu.

itaiyotta tōṭṭamoṉṟu vaṭakkil maṇṇil putaintu kiṭakkiṉṟatu. itu taṟpōtu teṟkiluḷḷa tōṭṭattiṉ “etiroli” allatu “iraṭṭai" ākum. cikiriyā kalācāra mukkōṇak karuttiṭṭattiṉ koḷkaikkiṇaṅka vaṭakkiluḷḷa ittōṭṭam akaḻvārāycci ceyyappaṭātu etirkāla āyvukaḷukkeṉa viṭappaṭṭuḷḷatu.

Tamil Transcription:

siriya nirp punga [nunniya nirth thottam]—intha “nunniya" thottam, nir madangal, nir nilaiyangal, murrangal, nirottangal enpavarrin nudpamanathoru valaiyamaippagum. ithottathil nir nilaigalal suzhappatta kattadangalaig konda ainthu kurugal ullana. kuzhangarkal allathu merugerrappatta palingug karkal pathikkappatta adithalangalaig konda innir nilaigalil azhamarra nir mella asainthodum.

ithottam palveru kalagattangalil nirmanikkappattullathu. ithu aintham nurrandin iruthig kalandugalil amaikkappattu, pinnar kavanippararrug kaividappattu mindum kasiyappan kalathukkup pirpatta iruthig kalagattaplil, perumbalum 10am 13am nurrandugalukkidaiyil araiguraiyagak kattappattullathu.

ithaiyotha thottamonru vadakkil mannil puthainthu kidakkinrathu. ithu tharpothu therkilulla thottathin “ethiroli” allathu “irattai" agum. sigiriya kalasara mukkonag karuthittathin kolkaikkinanga vadakkilulla ithottam agazhvaraychi seyyappadathu ethirkala ayvugalukkena vidappattullathu.

English translation of Tamil text [Automated]:

Miniature Water Park [Miniature Water Garden]—This “miniature” garden is an intricate network of water domes, water stations, courtyards, and streams. The garden consists of five elements with buildings surrounded by water bodies. Slowly moving.

This garden has been constructed in different periods. It was erected in the last quarter of the 5th century, then abandoned and half-built again in the late post-Kasyapan period, mostly between the 10th and 13th centuries.

A similar garden is buried in the soil in the north. It is now an "echo" or "twin" of the garden to the south. The northern garden will not be excavated and is left for future research in accordance with the principles of the Sigiriya Cultural Triangle Project.

Gallery information:

These photos are taken at the Sigiriya rock in Sri Lanka. This archaeological important site dates to the 2nd century BC when it functioned as a monastery. In the fifth century, King Kassapa I transferred the administrative centre from Anuradhapura to Sigiriya in order to  rule from there. The on-site museum displays various artifacts and paintings found at the Sigiriya rock.