Swarnavahini’s ‘Craja’ brings history of Sigiriya to screens across Sri Lanka

The Swarnavahini television channel, part of the EAP Broadcasting Company recently launched its latest historical teledrama series, ‘Craja’, which highlights the epic and emotional tale of King Kashyapa. Craja was allocated one of Swarnavahini’s biggest production budgets to date and was conceptualised and directed by Jackson Anthony. Currently airing its fifth episode, the series retells the story of the controversial sovereign Kashyapa, who converted the Sigiriya rock into a residential palace and fortress during his reign from 479 to 497 CE.

Today the Sigiriya Rock Fortress is considered a national wonder and is heralded as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Craja, which is aired on Swarnavahini every Saturday at 8:30 p.m., brings to light the heart-wrenching story that is interwoven into Sigiriya’s ancient past and highlights the early days of King Kashyapa’s rule. 

The series features an impressive line-up of leading actors and actresses including Bimal Jayakodi, Akila Dhanundra, Yashoda Wimaladharma, Roshan Pilapitiya and Sathischandra Edirisinghe. The entire script is based on an extensive research study, which was conducted by Anthony prior to production. Anthony is recognised as one of the Sri Lankan cinema industry’s most renowned and versatile professionals. Having made his mark as an actor, he has also made significant contributions to the local industry as a director, producer, singer, novelist and lyricist. In his latest masterpiece, he carefully retells King Kashyapa’s story with both artistic flair and poignancy.

Commenting on the Craja teledrama series, the show’s director Jackson Anthony stated, “The Craja teledrama series is based on historical facts and was produced to invoke curiosity and remind the Sri Lankan public of the rich heritage of the majestic Sigiriya Rock Fortress. The conversion of Sigiriya marks an important milestone in the life of King Kashyapa and today Sigiriya stands as a lasting reminder of the capabilities and power of Sri Lanka’s early rulers. We put a great deal of effort into ensuring that the series is factually accurate and we hope that it will provide a thrilling window into the mystery, allure and tragedy that surround the Sigiriya Rock Fortress and King Kashyapa’s reign. I would like to extend my gratitude to the entire crew and production team for their tireless commitment, which has resulted in the creation of a high-quality and truly captivating series.”

The ‘Craja’ teledrama series explores important questions about the fortress and the king’s life. The story highlights why King Kashyapa built Sigiriya, it provides more information about the architect behind the fortress as well as the artist who created the famous wall of frescoes. King Kashyapa was the son of King Dathusena and the dramatic entanglement between them is retold in ‘Craja’. The series depicts the many different aspects of King Kashyapa’s character and skilfully retells the story of his rise to sovereignty and his fall from power. 

Often referred to locally as the eighth wonder of the world, Sigiriya stands at 370 m above sea level and has an extensive network of fortifications, gardens and water features that have been built using complex construction, architectural and engineering skills that are far beyond their time. Some important aspects of the fortress include the frescoes of the Sigriya maidens, the lion’s paws that stand at the stairway entrance and the mirror wall (which is believed to have been polished so thoroughly during the king’s rule, that he was able to see his reflection in it). The Sigiriya Rock Fortress is globally recognised as an important historical structure as it demonstrates the sophisticated urban planning skills and progressive technical capabilities that were prevalent in Sri Lanka as far back as the third century. 

Craja is one of many teledramas that are produced and broadcasted by the Swarnavahini television channel. Since its launch in 1997, Swarnavahini has remained dedicated to delivering high quality programming and reaching out to an extensive audience base across Sri Lanka. The channel has been identified as one of the top-rated television broadcasting organisations in the country and is part of the EAP Broadcasting Group, which also comprises ETV, Shree FM, E FM and Ran One FM.