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Sigiriya Mirror Wall graffiti decipherment: 8th-century Sinhala Gi poetry metre and stylus incising?

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Dr Senarath Gi•950 rep

How did Professor Senarath Paranavitana decipher the 8th-to-10th century Gi verses etched into the polished lime glaze of the Mirror Wall?

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The decipherment of the Sigiriya Graffiti by Archaeological Commissioner Professor Senarath Paranavitana (published in 1956) decoded 685 classical Sinhala poems incised into the Mirror Wall between the 8th and 10th centuries. Ancient visitors wrote using sharp metal styli, cutting fine cursive characters directly into the vitrified lime glaze. The poems follow strict classical Sinhala poetic metres—primarily Yagi and Gi metres—exhibiting sophisticated rhyme, alliteration, and double-entendre. The verses record personal reactions: praise for King Kasyapa’s citadel, expressions of heartache, and admiration for the cloud-maiden fresco paintings.

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Dr Senarath CCF•1920 rep

One famous poem translates: "The deer-eyed maidens standing on the mountain side, having received no loving word from anyone, look down with frozen smiles."

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Dr Senarath Gi•950 rep

The inscriptions provide critical epigraphical proof that literacy in early medieval Sri Lanka was widespread across various social strata, including monks, soldiers, and women.

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Guru Dharmasena Wood•1830 rep

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