Rediscovery of Sigiriya

By Amal Hewavissenti

H.C.P. Bell's appointment as the first commissioner of archaeology in 1890 registered a memorable landmark in the uncovering of the island's cultural heritage. He merited the credit of being the first Englishman or perhaps the first Sri Lankan official to have rediscovered Sigiriya that had so far remained unknown in wilderness.

Bell naturally was qualified for the post of commissioner of archaeology on account that he was a splendid surveyor with an intimate acquaintance with history and architecture. He was a man who maintained District reports, annual reports and initial task development reports to make himself clear with what he was assigned to do.

The perseverance and courage that Bell displayed in the excavation and exploration of Sigiriya was definitely surprising. In 1890s, the British government decided to establish a separate department for archaeology in Sri Lanka as certain Europeans had centred their interest on a few archaeological researches by some enthusiasts. Accordingly, a civil servant (H.C.P. Bell) was chosen to be in charge of this department.

H.C.P. Bell, as the commissioner of the department was governed by the passion to explore the ruins and the hidden story of Sigiriya.

He realised that he had to examine the ruins of Sigiriya rock, to clear the jungle surrounding the rock and the remains of the garden below, to excavate the ground and to conserve it as a unique site.

H.C.P. Bell also realised that a safe mechanism to clamber to the top of the rock was essential before embarking on clearing the rock and excavating the site around it. The department provided his team with iron ladders and improvised rails for this purpose. Prior to this in 1894, Bell clambered along perilous ascents of the rock on to the top with the help of a ladder made of wood cut from the jungle around. Here he saw, for the first time, that the rock covered with wilderness and the land surrounding it held an invaluable treasure that subsequently became a national heritage.

Discontinue

The excavation work on the ruins of the palace of King Kashyapa atop the rock presented bitter experiences and challenges for Bell and his team -"Bell party"as they were popularly called. He ensured continual work on the rock in the face of the scorching sun which heated the rock to a greater degree and drained the courage and physical strength of the workers at work.

At this stage, Bell was confronted with innumerable hardships and challenges which often compelled him to discontinue the work. Yet he did not give up. The violent winds and terrible heat on the rock gradually sapped the strength of this great archaeologist and his men who had to clamber an alarming height on the rock almost everyday. The rock that still had been covered with bushes and trees was an ideal place for hornets that fiercely stung the workers.

Above all, the workers amidst these difficulties opposed further work chiefly because of malaria and strong superstitions plaguing them. The lack of water, and varied illnesses which drained the strength of the workers were adequate for any enthusiast to desist from further progress. Yet Bell's passion to unearth and uncover the precious cultural treasure lying hidden in Sigiriya ever remained strong.

By 1897, H.C.P. Bell succeeded in uncovering the remains of King Kshyapa's Palace atop Sigiriya rock - a victory of courage, determination and unabated fervour of a foreigner captivated by the unique art in Sri Lanka.

For the first time H.C.P. Bell discovered the flight of steps at the base with lion's paws.

A great feat

In 1896, Bell wanted to examine the cave on the eastern wall of the rock and how he gained access to the cave on the precipitous cliff is a story of impressive and difficult achievement. It was obvious that nobody could reach the eastern cave on the rock wall (which was a sheer precipice) without the help of a strong rope.

First, a strong rope was dropped down the wall touching the edge of the cave while a few strong workers held it tight. Then a Sinhala youth with a rope tied around his waist, slid some three hundred feet down the rope in a rare adventure of danger. He set the noose of the rope on to a massive stone chip which was suspended on the edge of the cave while men atop the rock were holding the rope tightly.

Finally H.C.P. Bell clambered the rock wall up to the cave with the help of this rope.

As Bell stated later, that Sinhala youth was the first to set foot on the cave in the dangerous eastern slope of the rock after King Kashyapa's period.

The paintings on the open cave on the western face of the rock impressed him and he gained access to almost all caves with paintings however much great the risk he had incurred in reaching them.

His assistant C.A.L. Perera produced excellent and accurate oil on canvas copies of all the paintings amidst incredible difficulties. At the same time, Bell made arrangements to fix nets over the paintings to preserve them from touch and all types of outward contact.

However, H.C.P. Bell ventured almost inaccessible reaches of the Sigiriya rock chiefly because he was greatly attracted by the paintings on the caves.

And he was well supported by his team of workers which comprised Sinhala youth.

In recognition of his service, governor Sir A.M. Gordon allocated an annual sum of 10,000 rupees for archaeological research and increased the number of workers to thirty. Apart from that, a clerk and a translator had been appointed to support him in all types of work and D.M.Z. De Wickramasinghe, the then assistant librarian of the National Museum was posted to work under him.