Sigiri Murals

Sigiriya, which was created by King Kasyapa, who reigned in the late 5th century, has succeeded in winning the universal award as the 8th wonder of the world, delighting the hearts of connoisseurs from all over the world. Among the special ruins of Sigiriya, the Sigiriya murals occupy a very important place. These murals are among the earliest preserved in Sri Lanka. 

The special feature of the Sigiri murals is that only the images of Sukumala Lalanas are slightly smaller than human size, and they are the only images that rise above the waist. Local ingredients have been used in these paintings, and ingredients commonly found in the dry region have been used in the preparation of colors. That is, gokatu milk, spider clay, Ranavara, etc. The artist has not attempted to depict the beauty of nature in painting, and his skill has been able to bring out the three-dimensionality of the images by combining dark and light colors. Also, due to the handling of the tails in accordance with the beautiful body shapes, Sigiri paintings look like painted figures from a distance. Thin fingers, slender, muscular cheeks, round breasts, full lips, and long, thin eyes have been carefully decorated in accordance with literary fiction.

Sigiri paintings are important in the study of Lakdi's secular art. At the moment, there are only 22 paintings in Sigiri. According to a Sigiri inscription written in the 8th century AD, there are 502 paintings of golden lions. In addition to the bed in the rock, paintings have also been found in Deraniyagala cave, Vatura Bakkigala cave, and Naipena cave (Parumaka cave). The upper body of the Sukumala Lalanana, slightly smaller than human size, has been used by Sigiri artists as the subject of their paintings, and the female figures have been drawn emerging from the clouds. Sigiri paintings have been created as images of couples and individuals who are seen accompanied by a golden liana climbing a ladder and a blue liana wearing a bra. Also, Sigiri paintings are created for artistic and aesthetic purposes.

The lower part of the female figure is covered with clouds from the hips, as if they are emerging from the clouds. These clouds are golden in color. It is special that these women emerging from the red clouds at the time of sunset have nothing but the empty sky in the background. The connection between these images and the evening is also mentioned in one of the Kurutu songs. As the sun sets, the shrinking lotus and lotus flowers confirm that it is evening. Among Sigiri women, there are Nilvanuas as well as Ranvanu. Mr. Paranavithana mentions Ranvanu as Vijjulatavas and Nilvanu as Megha Kumariyan. In the evening, the dances performed by the Apsaras are presented in Sigiri paintings. Some women bloom as if they were flowers. Some others add those flowers to the vases. Other women are looking at the flowers. Musical instruments have been used for this performance. The inscriptions mention a person holding a veena in her hand and an old woman on the right side of the painting who is weaving an instrument similar to a talampata. These Sigiri paintings show the connection of the woman with the softness, beauty, and fragrance of the flowers, and the way she performs a work on the flowers with her hands according to the music.

Six painting principles were used in ancient times. that is, size, shape, form, composition, color, and analogies. Sigiri paintings have been created in accordance with these principles. According to the way Sigiri women's plump breasts, thin skin, blue eyes, long faces, copper lips, and so on, have been praised, these babies appear to be young women. The anatomical significance of the female body has also been taken into account in Sigiri paintings. The folds in the stomach when the body bends are shown very clearly. Such images have helped to protect the reality of these paintings.