Image title: Cobra Hood Cave

English text:

Cobra Hood Cave—This is known by this name because of the natural cobra-hood shape of the cave. It is a cave with drip-ledges that had been used as a dwelling for the Sangha during the first monastic phase before Kasyapa. According to the early brahmi inscription here (3,1 centuries B.C.), this cave has been donated by chicitain Naguliya'. It is suggested that the painting on the ceiling with a decorative motif belongs to the 6-7 centuries AD. An excavation carried out in front of the cave revealed nine human skeletons.

In Sanskrit this would be known as Nāgaphaṇa-guha (नागफण-गुह, naga-phana-guha) or Ahiphaṇa-guha (अहिफण-गुह, ahi-phana-guha).

Sinhala text (not proofread):

නයිපෙන ගුහාව (බී 9 ගුහාව)—විශාල ගල් කුට්ටියක් කඩා වැටීම නිසා නයි පෙනයක ආකාරයට ස්වභාවිකව නිර්මාණය මී ඇති මෙම ගුහාව කාශ්‍යප යුගයට පෙර සීගිරියේ මුල්ම ආරාමීය අවධියේදී සංඝාවාසයක් ලෙස ප්‍රයෝජනයට ගත් කටාරම් කෙටූ ගල් ලෙනකි. මෙහි ඇති පුරව බ්‍රාහ්මි (ක්‍රි.පූ. 3 - 1 සියවස්) ශිලා ලේඛනයට අනුව මෙම ලෙන 'නගුලිය' නම් ප්‍රධානියා ( පරුමක නගුලිය ) විසින් පූජා කරන ලද්දකි. සැරසිලි රටාවකින් අලංකෘත මෙහි ඇති වියන සිතුවම ක්‍රි.ව. 6 7 සියටස් වලට අයත් වේ යයි අනුමාන කෙරේ. මෙම ලෙන ඉදිරි පස කරන ලද කැණීමකදී මානව ඇටසැකිලි නවයක්ද හමුවී ඇත.

Transliteration:

nayipena guhāva (bī 9 guhāva)—viśāla gal kuṭṭiyak kaḍā væṭīma nisā nayi penayaka ākārayaṭa svabhāvikava nirmāṇaya mī æti mema guhāva kāśyapa yugayaṭa pera sīgiriyē mulma ārāmīya avadhiyēdī saṅghāvāsayak lesa prayōjanayaṭa gat kaṭāram keṭū gal lenaki. mehi æti purava brāhmi (kri.pū. 3 - 1 siyavas) śilā lēkhanayaṭa anuva mema lena 'naguliya' nam pradhāniyā ( parumaka naguliya ) visin pūjā karana laddaki. særasili raṭāvakin alaṅkruta mehi æti viyana situvama kri.va. 6 7 siyaṭas valaṭa ayat vē yayi anumāna kerē. mema lena idiri pasa karana lada kæṇīmakadī mānava æṭasækili navayakda hamuvī æta.

Transliteration:

nayipena guhava (bi 9 guhava)—vishala gal kuttiyak kada vatima nisa nayi penayaka akarayata svabhavikava nirmanaya mi ati mema guhava kashyapa yugayata pera sigiriye mulma aramiya avadhiyedi sanghavasayak lesa prayojanayata gat kataram ketu gal lenaki. mehi ati purava brahmi (kri.pu. 3 - 1 siyavas) shila lekhanayata anuva mema lena 'naguliya' nam pradhaniya ( parumaka naguliya ) visin puja karana laddaki. sarasili ratavakin alankruta mehi ati viyana situvama kri.va. 6 7 siyatas valata ayat ve yayi anumana kere. mema lena idiri pasa karana lada kanimakadi manava atasakili navayakda hamuvi ata.

Automated translation:

Naipena Cave (Cave B9)—Naturally shaped like a naipena due to the collapse of a large boulder, this cave is a carved rock cave used as a hermitage during the earliest monastic period of Sigiriya before the Kasyapa period. According to the Purava Brahmi (3rd - 1st century BC) inscription here, this cave was offered by a chieftain named 'Naguliya' ( Parumaka Naguliya ). The tapestry here, decorated with a decorative pattern, dates back to AD. 6 7 is presumed to belong to Cetus. Nine human skeletons were also found during an excavation in front of these caves.

Tamil text (not proofread):

நாகபடக்குகை (பீ- 9 - குகை)—ஒரு பெரிய கல் உடைந்து விழுந்து நாகபடத்தின் உருவத்தில் இயற்கையாகவே உருவாகியுள்ளது. சிகிரியாவின் ஆரம்ப ஆச்சிரம காலத்தில் பிக்கு விடுதியொன்றாகப் பயன்படுத்தப்பட்ட தொட்டிகள் வெட்டப்பட்ட கற்குகையொன்றாகும். இங்குள்ள முன் பிராமி (கி.மு. 3 ) நாற்றாண்டின் கல்வெட்டுக் கேற்ப இக்குகை "நகுலியா' எனும் தலைவர் (பறுமக்க நகுலியா)வினால் கொடுக்கப்பட்ட ஒன்றாகும்.பல அலங்காரங்களைக் கொண்ட இங்குள்ள பந்தல் ஓவியம் கி.பி. 6 7.நூற்றாண்டுகளுக்குரியதென எண்ணுகின்றனர். இக் குகையில் முன்பு செய்யப்பட்ட அகழ்வின்போக மனித எலும்புக் கூடுகள் 9 கண்டு பிடிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன

Transliteration:

nākapaṭakkukai (pī- 9 - kukai)—oru periya kal uṭaintu viḻuntu nākapaṭattiṉ uruvattil iyaṟkaiyākavē uruvākiyuḷḷatu. cikiriyāviṉ ārampa āccirama kālattil pikku viṭutiyoṉṟākap payaṉpaṭuttappaṭṭa toṭṭikaḷ veṭṭappaṭṭa kaṟkukaiyoṉṟākum. iṅkuḷḷa muṉ pirāmi (ki.mu. 3 ) nāṟṟāṇṭiṉ kalveṭṭuk kēṟpa ikkukai "nakuliyā' eṉum talaivar (paṟumakka nakuliyā)viṉāl koṭukkappaṭṭa oṉṟākum.pala alaṅkāraṅkaḷaik koṇṭa iṅkuḷḷa pantal ōviyam ki.pi. 6 7.nūṟṟāṇṭukaḷukkuriyateṉa eṇṇukiṉṟaṉar. ik kukaiyil muṉpu ceyyappaṭṭa akaḻviṉpōka maṉita elumpuk kūṭukaḷ 9 kaṇṭu piṭikkappaṭṭuḷḷaṉa

Transliteration:

nagapadakkugai (pi- 9 - kugai)—oru periya kal udainthu vizhunthu nagapadathin uruvathil iyarkaiyagave uruvagiyullathu. sigiriyavin aramba achirama kalathil pikku viduthiyonragap payanpaduthappatta thottigal vettappatta karkugaiyonragum. ingulla mun pirami (ki.mu. 3 ) narrandin kalvettug kerpa ikkugai "naguliya' enum thalaivar (parumakka naguliya)vinal kodukkappatta onragum.pala alangarangalaig konda ingulla panthal oviyam ki.pi. 6 7.nurrandugalukkuriyathena ennuginranar. ig kugaiyil munpu seyyappatta agazhvinpoga manitha elumbug kudugal 9 kandu pidikkappattullana

Automated translation:

Nagapatakukai (B- 9 - cave)—A large stone has broken down and naturally formed in the shape of a Nagapatam. Sigiriya's early ashram is a hewn stone cistern that was used as a monk's lodge. According to the pre-Brahmi (3rd BC) inscription here, this cave was given by a chieftain named "Nakulia" (Parumakka Nagulia). The pandal paintings here with many decorations are believed to belong to the 6th and 7th centuries AD. During the earlier excavations in this cave, human bones were found. 9 nests have been found

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.