Today, Sigiriya is a World Heritage Site. Furthermore, Sigiriya’s unique cultural heritage and identity are astounding to locals and foreigners alike. It is safe to say that Sigiriya was one of the most popular destinations in the world due to its captivating nature in the western part of the Sigiriya foothills. There is a well-known scholarly opinion that the chronology of the Sigiriya murals is mostly comparable to the fifth century AD. However, if these are to be created in the traditional style of painting, it is important to have a proper understanding of its decoration, linework, color antiquity, and morphology. Ancient Sri Lankan painters were fascinated by anthropomorphic paintings, often using the scientific knowledge and practice of the time. Moreover, a closer look at the Sigiriya paintings reveals that the artist’s hand is drawn through the delicate lines in them, and the attempt to portray the vitality and realism of these paintings becomes clear. An examination of the collection of photographs reveals that the artist worked hard to highlight the naturalness of what is considered to be a skill.
The main features of the Sigiriya sculptures, especially in the ancient art forms, are the emphasis on naturalness. Especially when one looks at the statements of scholars like Dr. Pergiushan, it is clear that the charm and vividness of the Sigiriya paintings amazed local and foreign visitors. The creation of the Sigiriya paintings often took place according to some plan. Scholars have paid special attention to the fact that it is bed-painted as a single image and a pair of images, and according to critics, it represents a noble family with attendants. All human beings are sculptors drawn to the body size of the sculptor. The chest is covered with a nipple and in cases where it is not, it is covered with a duvet. One of the distinctive features of the Sigiriya images is that they are depicted as moving in a specific direction. It is important to note that there is no gap between images and pairs of images at a specific plane and distance and that not all paintings are fully planted with a forward-facing gesture. As mentioned above, the skills of the Sigiriya painter can be understood through the use of lines and color combinations used in drawing and coloring. Its realism and artistry, especially in murals, depend largely on the color combinations used. The colors red, yellow, and green appear to have been used primarily for coloring. The artist’s artistic prowess in the use of color is best exemplified by his attempt to highlight the use of color and the combination of colors on a social level. Yellow or gold is the color used to describe women who may be aristocratic or royal. A color similar to green appears to have been used to represent women in the service of escort ladies, or royal or noble ladies. There are also paintings that seem to have been applied to both of these types without any specialization in some places. They carry flowers in their hands.
It is possible that it also contains a social context to be inquired into. In standard crystal images, whether aristocratic or royal, they carry beautiful flowers in a very light way. But scholars, who claim to be escorted or may have been maids, hold flowers in their hands and place them in a flowerpot (like a tray). In this way too, it is possible to interpret whether the artist is trying to reflect the social stratification. Attempts to identify who Sigiriya is depicted in the paintings began only in the 8th century AD. – Pina Payodhara Hara – Palitha Sarasa composed melody center Nilendivara Nayana – Kayan Manorama Rama (Her full breasts are heavy, and her slender body is adorned with beautiful moles. Her eyes are like blue indulgence flowers. What is this enchanting beauty?) Vajravarman, a Sanskrit scholar, was intrigued by the Sigiriya hymn and wondered who the women in the Sigiriya paintings were. One of the problems faced by many who visited the Sigiriya paintings, especially at the same time, was the question of who were the beauties in the Sigiriya paintings. Even later, many who studied the Sigiriya paintings paid special attention to who the beauties in the Sigiriya paintings were. During the nineteenth century, when the Sigiriya paintings were discovered, HCP became the first art critic to comment on Sigiriya paintings. Mr. Bell. He was of the opinion that these paintings depict the queens, princesses, and other women of the royal family of King Kasyapa of Sigiriya. He also concludes that the maids may have been dressed in ugly colors. It is further stated that all of them are going to the nearby Pidurangala sacred area for pilgrimage. Among the scholars who agreed with this view were Winston Smith and Gerald Joseph. Another idea about Sigiriya Lalana paintings is that it depicts apsaras. This seems to be the case with Benjamin Roland and Ananda Coomaraswamy. Prof. Senarath Paranavithana also points out that these paintings depict images of clouds and vibrancy found in ancient literary sources. According to Paranavithana, electricity is represented by golden women, and clouds (rain clouds) are represented by blue women. There are also varying opinions on the subject matter of the Sigiriya paintings. Among them are depictions of mourning in the royal court over the death of King Kasyapa, a group of divine apsaras in a temple, a group of women in ceremonies, and a number of paintings depicting Mahayana ideas, and apsaras and their escorts during the war. King Kasyapa, who was hoping for victory, was said to have received a divine salutation, and a group of dramatists under the age of old wardens, and apsara-clad royal ladies and their attendant ladies could be seen playing with their maids in the garden after the garden games. That the royal maidens and their maidens may be mourning at the time of a royal corpse’s cremation or public homage, and that the Mahayana duck goddesses are portrayed as the daughters of the Bodhi and Uppalavanna princesses of the society, the daughters of King Kasyapa of Sigiriya. That, etc., are a number of very logical and important interpretations Presented in connection with the wounds.
When focusing on the chronology associated with the Sigiriya painting, it is essential that a formal study be conducted in this regard. Due to the limited information available on the Sigiriya paintings in the primary sources, there is a problem with the chronology. Although scholars are often tempted to associate the painting of Sigiriya with the period of the Kasyapa dynasty, which is often mentioned in the second part of the Mahavamsa (Culavamsa), it is not prudent to draw a definite idea or conclusion about it. In particular, the information on the Sigiriya paintings on the mirror wall gives a rough idea of the chronology of the paintings. that. H. According to Mr. Longhorscht, the Sigiriya paintings were painted in the Ajanta style and may have been created around the seventh century AD. Later, Mr. Paranavithana also accepted the idea that his original idea might have been created in the seventh century instead of the fifth century AD. Especially in the seventh century AD, great paintings were created in Ajanta, India. Scholars believe that the Sigiriya paintings may have been inspired by it at the same time. He was also the first to comment on the Sigiriya paintings. C. P. According to Mr. Bell, these paintings are very close to Ajanta’s style of painting in India, but the artists involved in Ajantha’s painting may not have been involved in Sigiriya’s paintings. Mr. Bell basically emphasizes that it is very similar, especially when it comes to style. Also, in the book Indian Sculpture and Painting, E.B. says that if there is a school of painting based on Ajanta in India, a sapling can be found at Sigiriya. Mr. Howell stressed. Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy, who has done research on the art history of the country, is of the opinion that the Sigiriya paintings may have been created in accordance with the Ajantha style of painting. There is also a close technical knowledge and stylistic connection between Sigiriya paintings and Ajantha paintings. It is believed that Indian artists may have come to Sri Lanka and introduced the Ajanta style to Sri Lankan artists or that Sri Lankan artists may have been inspired by the Ajantha school to paint Sigiriya paintings. This is explained in detail in his book “History of Fine Art in India and Ceylon”.
According to Benjamin Roland, the Sigiriya paintings help to infer the art traditions of the Andhra period. A comparative analysis of the Sigiriya murals and the Ajanta murals reveals many similar features. As mentioned earlier, the painting of Sigiriya can be traced back to the seventh century AD, when the painting of Ajanta is thought to have begun in India as well. Similarly, a similar pattern of the use of technical techniques is evident in the paintings of Ajantha and Sigiriya. In addition, when looking at the jewelry and costumes of Sigiriya Lalana, the types of necklaces (such as thali Pota, Chaikakshaka necklace), earrings, rings, etc., are often compared to the costumes found in Ajantha’s paintings. Perhaps in comparison with the Sigiriya paintings and the Ajantha paintings, there is some variation in the expressions of Lalana. In the Sigiriya paintings, in particular, it can be observed that gestures and facial expressions are subtly used to indicate how women have a certain concentration. But the gestures and facial expressions of the women depicted in Ajantha’s paintings are very erotic and exhilarating. Commenting on the use of lines in the painting, Paranavithana points out that although the Ajanta style was followed, the Sigiriya painting industry was adapted by Sri Lankan traditional artists in line with the ancient line art of painting. Ananda Coomaraswamy has put forward an opinion similar to that of Paranavithana. In particular, he points out that although local craftsmen were involved in the painting of Sigiriya, the tradition and usage of the paintings were largely Ajanta style. He further said that the Sigiriya paintings are a good example of the spread of the new tradition of the painting industry in Ajanta around the seventh century AD beyond India. Thus it is clear that it is difficult to highlight the locality of the Sigiriya paintings alone. It is not unreasonable to pay attention to a foreign source regarding the creation of these paintings, especially in a context where paintings similar to those of Sigiriya are not found in other murals in Sri Lanka. This is because, in the mural art of Sri Lanka, it is possible to accurately identify a local tradition and technology that is unique to Sri Lanka. But this is not fair with regard to the Sigiriya paintings. Therefore, the scholarly belief that the Ajanta painting tradition, which was more prevalent in contemporary India, may have been inspired by Sigiriya paintings, can be traced back to a realistic and powerful sense. Moreover, the cultural relations between India and Sri Lanka can be better analyzed through the influence of the Ajanta art tradition.
