Memorial of Heo Hwang-ok, Ayodhya

A memorial of the Korean queen Heo Hwang-ok is located in Ayodhya, India.

Heo Hwang-ok is a legendary queen mentioned in the 13th-century chronicle Samguk Yusa. She is said to have come to Geumgwan Gaya from Ayuta.[1] Based on identification of Ayuta with Ayodhya, she is believed to be of Indian origin.[2]

In 2001, a Korean delegation, which included the North Korean ambassador to India, inaugurated a memorial dedicated to her in Ayodhya.[3][4] The monument was built in Korean tradition using a 3 m high and 7,500 kg heavy stone shipped from Korea.

In March 2016, a 38-member South Korean delegation made a proposal to develop the memorial further. The proposal was accepted by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.[5] The regional tourism office of India released ₹ 30 million for the development of the memorial. It was decided that South Korean architects will survey the land, and prepare an action plan. Song Eun-Bok, the mayor of the Gimhae city, had visited Ayodhya in 2000 and made a similar plan, but it had not materialized. In May 2017, during the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Seoul, a decision was taken to upgrade the monument as a joint project between India and South Korea.[6] On 6 November 2018 on the eve of Deepavali celebration, South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook laid the foundation stone for the expansion and beautification of the existing memorial.[7][8]

Hundreds of South Korean tourists visit Ayodhya every year to pay tributes to their queen.[9]

Sister City Agreement between Ayodhya and Gimhe

Based on formal Korean Governmental approval, the Mayors of the City of "Ayodhya" in India and the City of "Gimhae" in South Korea also signed an International "Sister City" bond in March 2001 to formalise the relationship and encourage cultural and mutual development.[10]

See also

References
  1. Il-yeon (tr. by Ha Tae-Hung & Grafton K. Mintz) (1972). Samguk Yusa. Seoul: Yonsei University Press. ISBN 89-7141-017-5.
  2. Skand R. Tayal (2015). India and the Republic of Korea: Engaged Democracies. Taylor & Francis. p. 23. ISBN 978-1-317-34156-7.
  3. Korean memorial to Indian princess, 6 March 2001, BBC
  4. Legacy of Queen Suriratna, 6 Dec. 2016, The Korea Times
  5. UP CM announces grand memorial of Queen Huh Wang-Ock, 1 March 2016, WebIndia123
  6. Unravelling the Ayodhya-Korea link, 13 July 2015 , The Hindu
  7. "UP's Faizabad district to be known as Ayodhya, says Yogi Adityanath". 6 November 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  8. "Site for Heo Hwang-ok memorial in Ayodhya finalised". 2 November 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  9. Why 60 lakh Koreans consider Lord Ram's Ayodhya their maternal home?, 4 March 2016, Zee News
  10. South Korea's Ayodhya connection, 12 Sept. 2004, The Times of India

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