Pidurangala Rock

These bare peaks rise abruptly from the low-lying plains that extend from the central mountain range of the country.^[1] They are inselbergs, hardened granite outcrops deriving from solidified magma plugs of former volcanoes.^[2]

The rocks form the site of Pidurangala Vihara, a former Buddhist monastery, which is a registered archaeological protected site.^[1] Caves house a temple, Sigiri Pidurangala Raja Maha Viharaya, which is believed to have been built by King Kashyapa in the 5th century,^[3] and a monumental brick statue of a reclining Buddha.^[4] King Kashyapa's stupa is near the entrance to the monastery, and there are remains of another stupa on the top of the outcrop.^[5]

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  Sigiriya Rock seen from Pidurangala
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  Summit and panorama
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  Entrance to the temple at the foot of the rock
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  Brick statue of a reclining Buddha