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The Boulder Garden

                The boulder garden presents a garden design which is in marked contrast to the symmetry and geometry of the water gardens. It is an entirely organic or symmetrical conception, consisting of a number of winding pathway, which link several clusters of large natural boulders extending from the southern slopes of the Sigiriya hill to the northern slopes below the plateau of the lion staircase. One of the most striking features of this boulder garden is the way in which almost every rock and boulder had a building or pavilion set upon it. What seem to us today like steps and drains or a honeycomb of holes on the sides or tops of boulders, are  in fact the foundations or footings of ancient brick walls and of timber columns and beams.

             Among the unusual features of the garden are the impluvium of the ‘Cistern Rock’ taking its name from a large cistern formed  out of massive slabs of granite, and the ‘Audience Hall Rock ’ which has a flattened summit and a large 5-metre long throne carved out of the living rock. The honeycomb of post-holes and flattened ledges of the ‘preaching Rock ’ are others. While considerable excavation will have to be done before we can recover the original pathways of the boulder garden, at least two distinct markers are provided by two ‘ boulder arches ’ and limestone staircases, as well as various flights of steps and passageways constructed of polished marble blocks and slabs. The vertical ‘drains’ cut in the sides of rocks in a few places indicates that, water-courses and controlled water movement formed part of the garden architecture in this area too.

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