1. The Legend of Suriratna, a teenage princess from Ayodhya, who marries King Kim Suro in Korea captivates South Korean descendants.
2. Approximately 60 lakh people in South Korea, considering themselves heirs of Suriratna, eagerly watched the online consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
3. Many descendants of the Karak clan, who see Ayodhya as their grandmother’s home, plan to visit the city to see the new Ram temple complex.
Ayodhya, Jan 30: The legend of a teenage princess from Ayodhya, Suriratna, who crossed the ocean some 2,000 years ago to marry King Kim Suro in Korea, is captivating the descendants in South Korea.
Around 60 lakh people in South Korea, who consider themselves heirs of Suriratna, eagerly watched the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya online. Now, many are looking forward to visiting Ayodhya and witnessing the grand Ram temple complex in person.
The legend tells the tale of Suriratna, who sailed 4,500 kilometers from Ayodhya to Korea and became Queen Heo Hwang-ok, marrying King Kim Suro, the founder of the Gaya Kingdom. The connection between Ayodhya and these descendants is deeply rooted, with Ayodhya being considered their maternal home.
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Members of the Karak clan, descendants of Suriratna, regularly visit Ayodhya to pay respects at the Queen Heo Memorial Park, established on the banks of the Sarayu River in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh government and Gimhae City in South Korea.
The park, spanning 2,000 square meters, features pavilions, a meditation hall, murals, and audio-video facilities in a typical Korean architectural style.
Kim Chil-su, the secretary general of the Central Karak Clan Society, expressed the significance of Ayodhya to them, stating, “Ayodhya is very special to us as we see it as our grandmother’s home.” Many are planning trips to Ayodhya to visit both the memorial and the new Ram temple.
The Queen Heo Hwang-ok is revered as the progenitor mother of the Gimhae Heo families, according to the ancient Korean history text “Samguk Yusa.”
The South Korean embassy congratulated India on the consecration ceremony, emphasizing the symbolic importance of the matrimonial link between Queen Sriratna and King Kim Suro.
In 2015, an MoU for the expansion of the memorial was signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former South Korean president Moon Jae-in.
South Korean First Lady Kim Jung-sook attended the inauguration of beautification work in 2018.
Commemorative postage stamps were issued in 2019, and an Indian diplomat wrote a novel, later translated into Korean, based on Suriratna’s life.
The legend continues to bridge cultural ties between Ayodhya and its descendants in South Korea.
