Over 100 volunteers to help restore King Kasyapa's fortress
by Anjana Gamage
Specially crafted bricks numbering 50,000 together with
some 40 cubes of sand will be conveyed to the summit of Sigiriya today
and tomorrow via a human chain formed by over 100 volunteers to be used
in the restoration work of King Kasyapa's fortress which is presently in
a state of ruin and decay.
The project will be carried out under the sole
supervision of the Central Cultural Fund, under the Sigiriya
Conservation Programme. The fortress build by King Kasyapa on the summit
of Sigiriya which is considered to be the world's eighth wonder is at
present in a vastly rundown state and under threat of being lost to
history.
According to Sirisaman Wijetunga of the Central Cultural
Fund (CCF), the bricks of the ruins of King Kasyapa's citadel is now
under threat. Under the Sigiriya Conservation Project, the CCF has taken
steps to conserve the Sigiriya rock as well as King Kashyapa's fortress.
"As the old bricks are now dilapidated. We want to
replace them with new bricks that are being produced of the same
dimension to the original bricks that were produced during the
Anuradhapura era. One brick weighs 7 kg. About 500,000 bricks are in
need to restore the Royal fortress.
The biggest problem is to lift so much of bricks to the
top of the rock. To produce a brick it will cost Rs. 17 and to lift a
single brick to the top it will cost Rs. 100", he said. The CCF has
organised this special two-day brick hoisting Shramadana campaign with
the support of 100 villagers and the officers of the government
institutions.
By the free shramadana campaign, the CCF would also be
able to save huge sum of money that has to be spent to lift the bricks
as well.
Some 13,000 bricks were transported in this manner to
the Sinhapadaya through a similar shramadana campaign earlier as well
and the CCF is expected to hold shramadana campaigns from time to time
until the entire quantum of bricks is being lifted to the rock summit. |
