Elephants

African and Asian elephants have become an endangered species in the world. Of course, most of us can watch elephants in the zoo. Nevertheless, these animals, in general two to five years at the most, usually live in a small area, only remotely resembling their natural habitat. However, if you ever want to watch an Asian elephant herd in their place of origin, Sri Lanka is the place to go. 

Sigiriya

Sigiriya (Lion's rock),(Sinhalese - සීගිරිය)(tamil=சிகிரியா) is an ancient rock fortress and palace ruin situated in the central Matale District of Sri lanka , surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. A popular tourist destination, Sigiriya is also renowned for its ancient paintings (frescos),[1] which are reminiscent of the Ajanta Caves of India. It is one of the seven World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.[2][3]

Sigiriya may have been inhabited through prehistoric times. It was used as a rock-shelter mountain monastery from about the 5th century BC, with caves prepared and donated by devotees to the Buddhist Sangha. According to the chronicles as Mahavamsa the entire complex was built by King Kashyapa (AD 477 – 495), and after the king's death, it was used as a Buddhist monastery until 14th century.

The Sigiri inscriptions were deciphered by the archaeologist Senarath Paranavithana in his renowned two-volume work, published by Cambridge, Sigiri Graffiti and also Story of Sigiriya.[4]