What happened to the secret Tunnel found in Sigiriya Rock.?

 Who moved valuable Antics to British Museum..!

Sigiri Rock is a spectacular creation which is full of mysteries. This story is about unseen aspect of this Rock. Suriya Gunasekara is an Explore researching about the hidden history of Sri Lanka including King Ravana. He had authored few books too. He had gone to Sigiriya along with a group in Nineteen Sixties for a special research. They had visited a folk food eatery to where Sigiri Rock is visible.

There was an old person in this garden. They happened to talk to this old blind man after having lunch. When he came to know their intention of visiting Sigiriya, he started this story.

“ Gentlemen eventhough I am blind now, it happened as a result of a great sin I did.” This developed curiosity of the group. “ What happened Seeya” I was a Helper to H.C.P. Bell who was carrying out excavations in Sigiriya. All the employees who were involved with the excavation are dead now.

H.C.P. Bell is the first Archeological Commissioner in Sri Lanka. He had allegations that he secretly moved valuable Antiques, found in excavations carried out by him in Sri Lanka to the British Museum. We ascended the Rock while excavating from the bottom. We found wonderful creations from the top of the Rock. When we came to the end of the excavation, we explored a opening of a stair case that was descending through the Rock . it was a hidden Tunnel ,linked the bottom with the top of the Rock.

This was not visible from the out at all. We started going down through the Tunnel. There were few rest rooms in this Tunnel. We found a lot of Antiques from these rooms. Mr. Bell collected all these items and kept under his custody. After coming out from the staircase he instructed us to close the both ends with concrete. We wondered as to why he wanted to permanently close it.

But we had no option but to carry out his instructions. After this incident all of us started falling in to various problems. Some became severely ill. Some died without reasons. I, who did not have any health issue, woke up in one morning with my eyes blind. Then he started crying as if he too was a part of this crime and the group moved with a lot of curiosity about the purposely closed Tunnel.

Since this incident took place a long time ago and this blind man is the only survivor of the group who got involved with this exploration, the possibility of investigating on this story is useless. But since Sigiriya was built by King Kashyapa to keep himself hidden from his brother Mugalan, the possibility of having a secret Tunnel can be a truth. But Bell’s intention of covering it up is not clear.

Rumi Speelberg

Translation of a Sinhala Article published by Helawanshaya Bloog