Visit to Ram Temple by Koreans: Many Believe Ayodhya Princess Crossed Seas to Marry Their King

The Ram Temple consecration in Ayodhya, India, has drawn significant attention from a unique group of observers – Koreans who believe in a legend linking their heritage to the ancient Indian city. According to the Korean legend, a teenage princess named Suriratna from Ayodhya sailed across the ocean approximately 2,000 years ago, covering a distance of 4,500 kilometers to Korea. She is said to have married King Kim Suro, the founder of the Gaya Kingdom in Korea, and became Queen Heo Hwang-ok.

While this legend is not well-known in India, it has deep significance for approximately 60 lakh people in South Korea who consider themselves descendants of Suriratna. They regard Ayodhya as their maternal home, and many of them eagerly watched the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple online on January 22. Now, there is a growing anticipation among these individuals to visit Ayodhya and witness the grandeur of the new Ram temple complex.

Members of the Karak clan, who identify as descendants of Suriratna, visit Ayodhya annually to pay tributes at the memorial of Queen Heo Hwang-ok, established at the Queen Heo Memorial Park on the banks of the Sarayu River in Ayodhya. This park was established in 2001 through a collaboration between the Uttar Pradesh government and Gimhae city in South Korea.

“Ayodhya is very special to us as we see it as our grandmother’s home,” expressed Kim Chil-su, the secretary general of the Central Karak Clan Society. Chil-su was among those who attended the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony for the new idol of Ram Lalla at the temple on January 22.

The Queen Heo Memorial Park spans over 2,000 square meters and features various facilities, including a meditation hall, pavilions dedicated to the queen and king, pathways, a fountain, murals, and audio-video facilities. The pavilions are constructed in a typical Korean style, with tiled sloping roofs.

Many Koreans who have a connection to Ayodhya expressed their desire to visit the new Ram temple. Yu-Jin Lee, who plans to travel to Ayodhya with a group in February, shared, “We watched the ceremony online, and what a feeling it was. I haven’t been to the old makeshift shrine but have read about the dispute.”

The legend of Queen Heo Hwang-ok is recorded in an ancient Korean history text, “Samguk Yusa,” which states that she arrived in Korea from “Ayuta” in AD 48. She is revered as the progenitor mother of the Gimhae Heo families, part of the Karak clan.

The South Korean embassy congratulated India on the consecration ceremony, highlighting the symbolic importance of the place in Korea-India relations based on the matrimonial link between Queen Sriratna (Heo Hwang-ok) and King Kim Suro.

In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former South Korean President Moon Jae-in signed a memorandum of understanding for the expansion of the memorial. The South Korean First Lady, Kim Jung-sook, attended the inauguration of beautification work in 2018, and commemorative postage stamps were issued for the queen in 2019.

Indian diplomat N Parthasarathi, a former ambassador to South Korea, wrote a novel based on Suriratna’s life, titled “The Legend of Ayodhya Princess in Korea,” which was translated into Korean as “Bi Dan Hwang Hoo” and published in Seoul. The National Book Trust of India later published a children’s book based on the novel.

The shared legend between Ayodhya and Korea serves as a unique cultural and historical connection, fostering ties between the two nations.