My Interpretation About The Actual Task Of The Sigiriya Frescoes

Earlier being an ancient rock-shelter monastery, converted into an entrenched palace and city by King Kasyapa I in the 5th century whence Anuradhapura Kingdom, Sigiriya has become a world heritage for its famous frescoes with the subject matter of glamorous ladies. Though it said in the graffities of the mirror-wall that there were around 500 paintings, nowadays only 19 figures have been survived.

Having considered the female figures which are depicted as portraits floating above the clouds, they were painted in two complexions as golden colour and dusky hues with extremely fine raiments, jackets, strip of cloth across the breasts and from the waist downward dhoti or bifurcated garments. Having covered with numerous jewellery girdles in the necks and arms, rosettes decks for their elegance coiffures, the ladies carry flowers such as lotus, water lily, sun flowers and temple flowers etc. in their hands as well as in trays borne by the dusky hues complexion females.

Caused to much debate, discussion and disagreement, the scholars, archaeologists and art lovers have been tending to express their interpretation about Sigiriya maidens in various methodologies in virtue of debating who were these ladies, what was the secret message that they were bearing.

In accordance with the hypothesis of archaeologist H.C.P Bell,the paintings were of the ladies of Kasyapa's court in the devotional procession to the shrine at Pidurangala. Since, in order to the Buddhist culture and tradition women in Anuradhapura era and even today haven't been wearing colorful clothes, decorative jewellery and ornaments in virtue of parading to worship in a temple, but only as white clad devotees; the conjecture of H.C.P Bell is hardly to be proven.

Providing the evidences in ancient literature, archaeologist Senarath Paranavithana interpreted Sigiriya maidens as lightening princesses (vijju latha) and cloud damsels (megha latha) in Alakamanda, the abode of Kuvera, as the entire palace complex is a symbolic reconstruction of Alakamanda. Since the interpretation has the supportive background of literature, the hypothesis of Senarath Paranavithana cannot be easily eluded.

Having considered the conjecture of scholar Ananda Coomaraswamy, in keeping with well established South Asian traditions he identified the Sigiriya maidens as apsaras who are often represented in art and literature as celestial nymphs, carried flowers and scattered them over kings and heroes as celebration of victory.

Having taken an account the hypothesis and conjectures of archaeologists, scholars and art lovers, my interpretation is a mingle of suppositions of the scholars.

Exceptionally having chosen to use the vast, wealth and energy of his kingdom in creating the palace complex, king Kasyapa I might have the perception of Alakamada to demonstrate in Sigiriya as appearing among the clouds and mist.

The rich raiments, sophisticated clothing, jewellery adornments, lively appearance, glamorous complexion, enigmatic smile, rendition of facial expressions and exceptional hand gestures suggest that these ladies were not common, civil, normal and contemporary women in Anuradhapura era, but the ladies of King Kasyapa's court or his harem with well trained behavior for exquisite life style under the guidance. 

Figure of Old Maiden

Since the figure of old maiden was depicted among the frescoes of maidens, she might be the person who trained and guided the ladies of Kind Kasyapa's harem.

Golden color and dusky hues complexion girls might be respectively the princesses or queens and their maids.

   

In my point of view, these glamorous ladies metaphorized the calm, elegant, ideal and sensuous beauty of the king's harem with the dignity of social standards, who were to be exhibited and admired, but not to be touched. Floating among the clouds, portrayed with flowers to scatter and shower upon the king, they were intended to evoke voluptuous desirable sense by projecting the opulence grandeur of powerful King Kasyapa I.

Therefore my interpretation about the task of the Sigiriya frescoes is a compound mingle of ideas and conjectures to exhibit that the Sigiriya maidens are a celebration of beauty.