Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka

Sri lanka

Sigiriya (Lion Rock Sinhalese: සීගිරිය, Tamil: சிகிரியா, pronounced see-gi-ri-yə) is an ancient rock fortress located in the centralMatale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province, Sri Lanka. The name refers to a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 200 metres (660 ft) high. According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle the Culavamsa, this site was selected by King Kasyapa (477 – 495 CE) for his new capital. He built his palace on the top of this rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The name of this place is derived from this structure —Sīhāgiri, the Lion Rock. The capital and the royal palace was abandoned after the king's death. It was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century.^[1]

Sigiriya today is a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site. It is one of the best preserved examples of ancient urban planning.^[2] It is the most visited historic site in Sri Lanka.^[3]

The Mahaweli River (Sinhalese: මහවැලි ගඟ Mahawaluka nadee, literally "Great Sandy River"; Tamil: மகாவலி ஆறு [mahawali gangai]),^[2] is a 335 km (208 mi) long river, ranking as the longest river in Sri Lanka. Its drainage basin is the largest in the country, and covers almost one-fifth of the total area of the island. The river reaches the Bay of Bengal on the southwestern side ofTrincomalee Bay. The bay includes the first of a number submarine canyons, making Trincomalee one of the finest deep-seaharbors in the world.^[3] The river and its tributaries are dammed at several locations to allow irrigation in the dry zone, with almost 1,000 km² (386 sq mi) of land irrigated.^[4] Production of hydroelectricity from six dams of the Mahaweli system supplies more than 40% of Sri Lanka's electricity needs. One of the many sources of the river is the Kotmale Oya.^[5]

There is a misconception in Sri Lanka that the Mahaweli starts in the Sri Pada mountain. The Mahaweli gets its source waters fromHortain Plains in Kirigalpoththa and the Thotupola mountain range.