The Korean connection of Ayodhya will once again come under focus this Diwali.
The First Lady of South Korea, Kim Jung-sook, will be the chief guest at the Deepotsav event being organised in the temple town by the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government on November 6.
New memorial
She will also be present at the ground-breaking ceremony of a new memorial being constructed by the government dedicated to the legendary Queen Suriratna (Heo Hwang-ok).
The Yogi Adityanath Cabinet on Tuesday approved the project and alloted funds of ₹24.66 crores for its construction near the Saryu River.
As per Korean folklore, Queen Suriratna was a princess in ancient Ayodhya who travelled to Korea 2,000 years ago and married a king of the Kim community.
“Kim people of Korea believe that around 2,000 years ago, a princess of Ayodhya had gone to South Korea, where she got married to a King Kim Suro,” a State government spokesperson said.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, princess Suriratna travelled to Korea in 48 CE, proving Ayodhya and Korea had “a deep historical connection.”
“The First Lady’s participation in the festivities in Ayodhya will showcase our close links as well as the ongoing deepening engagement between our two countries,” the MEA said in a statement.
The new memorial would come up near a park built in memory of Suriratna by members of the Krak Clan.
Bouyed by this connection, in 2000, the Mayor of Kim-Hae city in South Korea even invited Ayodhya to sign a sister-city bond. This led to many research projects to substantiate the link between Ayodhya and Korea.
Every year, Koreans in large numbers visit the park built in the name of the princess.
Published - November 01, 2018 10:59 pm IST
