Image title: Boulder Arch

English text:

Boulder Arch—This is on the ancient pathway and is a fine example of adopting the features of the natural landscape in Sigiriya planning. On either side of the boulder arch are two caves prepared as dwellings for the Sangha during the first monastic phase before Kasyapa. In the one on the left is an inscription in early-brahmi script. It says: “Parumaka Kadiya putasha....” which means (the cave of) chieftain Kadiya’s son. What is seen inside the cave is a part of a limestone seat made for the use of meditating monks.

Sinhala text (not proofread):

ශිලා ද්වාරය (අංක 1.ගල් ආරුක්කුව)—මෙම ගල් ආරුක්කුව පැරණි මාර්ගයෙහි පිහිටා ඇත. සීහිරි සැළසුම්කරණය තුළ ස්වාභාවික පරිසරය කෙරෙහි පැවති අනුකූලතාව පිළිබඳ කදිම නිදසුනකි. ගල ආරුක්කුව දෙපස දක්නට ලැබෙන්නේ කාශ්‍යප අවධියට පෙර ආරාමීය අවධිගෙදී සැහොමෝග සඳහා පිළියෙල වූ ගල් ලෙන් දෙකකි. ඉන් වම්පස ලෙනෙහි පූර්ව බ්‍රාහ්මී ශිලා ලේඛනයක් දී දැකිය හැකිය. එම ශිලා ලේඛනයේ සඳහන් වනුයෙ ' පරුමක හඩිය පු...... යන්නයි. එනම්, ඔඩිය ප්‍රධානියාගේ පුත්‍රයාගේ.... යන්නයි. මෙම ලෙන තුළ දක්නට ලැබෙන්නේ භාවනායෝගී භික්ෂුන් වහන්සේලා උදෙසා හුතුගලින් සැකසූ ආසනයක කොටසකි.

Transliteration:

śilā dvāraya (aṅka 1.gal ārukkuva)—mema gal ārukkuva pæraṇi mārgayehi pihiṭā æta. sīhiri sæḷasumkaraṇaya tuḷa svābhāvika parisaraya kerehi pævati anukūlatāva piḷibanda kadima nidasunaki. gala ārukkuva depasa daknaṭa læbennē kāśyapa avadhiyaṭa pera ārāmīya avadhigedī sæhomōga sandahā piḷiyela vū gal len dekaki. in vampasa lenehi pūrva brāhmī śilā lēkhanayak dī dækiya hækiya. ema śilā lēkhanayē sandahan vanuye ' parumaka haḍiya pu...... yannayi. enam, oḍiya pradhāniyāgē putrayāgē.... yannayi. mema lena tuḷa daknaṭa læbennē bhāvanāyōgī bhikṣun vahansēlā udesā hutugalin sækasū āsanayaka koṭasaki.

Transliteration:

shila dvaraya (anka 1.gal arukkuva)—mema gal arukkuva parani margayehi pihita ata. sihiri salasumkaranaya tula svabhavika parisaraya kerehi pavati anukulatava pilibanda kadima nidasunaki. gala arukkuva depasa daknata labenne kashyapa avadhiyata pera aramiya avadhigedi sahomoga sandaha piliyela vu gal len dekaki. in vampasa lenehi purva brahmi shila lekhanayak di dakiya hakiya. ema shila lekhanaye sandahan vanuye ' parumaka hadiya pu...... yannayi. enam, odiya pradhaniyage putrayage.... yannayi. mema lena tula daknata labenne bhavanayogi bhikshun vahansela udesa hutugalin sakasu asanayaka kotasaki.

Automated translation:

Stone Gate (No. 1. Stone Arch)—This stone arch is located on the old road. Siheri is a fine example of harmony with the natural environment in planning. On either side of the stone arch are two stone caves that were prepared for worship during the monastic period before the Kasyapa period. A pre-Brahmi inscription can be seen in the cave to the left of it. The inscription says ' Parumaka Hadiya Pu....... That is, Odia chief's son's…. In this cave, there is a part of a seat made of stone for meditating monks.

Tamil text (not proofread):

கல்லினாலான வளைவு (வில்வளைவுக் கால் இலக்கம் )—இவ்வில்லுனைவுக் கல் பழைய பாதையில் அமைந்துள்ளது. சிகிரியா திட்டத்தில் இயற்கைச் சுற்றாடலுக்க முக்கியத்துவம் கொடுக்கப்பட்டிருப்பதற்கு இது உதாரணமாகும். வில்வளைவுக் கல்லின் இருபக்கங்களிலும் ஆச்சிரம காலத்தில் பிக்குமார்கள் தங்குவதற்காக அமைக்கப்பட்ட இரு கற்குகைகள் காணப்படுகின்றன. அதன் இடப் பக்கக் குகையில் பிராமிய காலத்துக்கு முன்மான கல்வெட்டுக் காண்ப்படுகின்றன. அக் கல்வெட்டில் “பறுமக்க கடிய அந்தச்" எனக் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ளது. அதாவது கடிய தலைவரின் மகனின; (குகை) என்பதாகும். தியானத்தில் ஈடுபடும் பிக்குமார்களுக்காக சண்ணாம்புக் கற்களால் செய்யப்பட்ட இருக்கையின் இரு பகுதி அக் குகையில் காணப்படுகிறது.

Transliteration:

kalliṉālāṉa vaḷaivu (vilvaḷaivuk kāl ilakkam )—ivvilluṉaivuk kal paḻaiya pātaiyil amaintuḷḷatu. cikiriyā tiṭṭattil iyaṟkaic cuṟṟāṭalukka mukkiyattuvam koṭukkappaṭṭiruppataṟku itu utāraṇamākum. vilvaḷaivuk kalliṉ irupakkaṅkaḷilum āccirama kālattil pikkumārkaḷ taṅkuvataṟkāka amaikkappaṭṭa iru kaṟkukaikaḷ kāṇappaṭukiṉṟaṉa. ataṉ iṭap pakkak kukaiyil pirāmiya kālattukku muṉmāṉa kalveṭṭuk kāṇppaṭukiṉṟaṉa. ak kalveṭṭil “paṟumakka kaṭiya antac" eṉak kuṟippiṭappaṭṭuḷḷatu. atāvatu kaṭiya talaivariṉ makaṉiṉa; (kukai) eṉpatākum. tiyāṉattil īṭupaṭum pikkumārkaḷukkāka caṇṇāmpuk kaṟkaḷāl ceyyappaṭṭa irukkaiyiṉ iru pakuti ak kukaiyil kāṇappaṭukiṟatu.

Transliteration:

kallinalana valaivu (vilvalaivug kal ilakkam )—ivvillunaivug kal pazhaiya pathaiyil amainthullathu. sigiriya thittathil iyarkais surradalukka mukkiyathuvam kodukkappattiruppatharku ithu utharanamagum. vilvalaivug kallin irupakkangalilum achirama kalathil pikkumarkal thanguvatharkaga amaikkappatta iru karkugaigal kanappaduginrana. athan idap pakkag kugaiyil piramiya kalathukku munmana kalvettug kanppaduginrana. ag kalvettil “parumakka kadiya anthas" enag kurippidappattullathu. athavathu kadiya thalaivarin maganina; (kugai) enpathagum. thiyanathil idupadum pikkumarkalukkaga sannambug karkalal seyyappatta irukkaiyin iru paguthi ag kugaiyil kanappadugirathu.

Automated translation:

Stone arch (arch toe)—This arch is located on an old path. This is an example of the emphasis placed on nature in the Sigiriya project. On either side of the arched stone there are two stone huts built for the residence of Bhikkumars during the Achirama period. An inscription dating back to the Brahmin period is found in the cave on its left side. The inscription mentions "Parumakka Kadiya Andacha" which means (cave) of the son of the chief of Kadiya. Two parts of a seat made of limestone are found in the cave.

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.