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Koreans honour their princess of Ayodhya
By: Vinay Krishna Rastogi
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Lucknow: A 15-member delegation from South Korea is currently in Ayodhya to revive the country’s 2,000-year-old link with the temple town.
South Korean history holds that a princess of Ayodhya — who they call the Great Princess of Ayodhya — was married to Korean king Suro in the first century AD.
This belief of the Koreans is to be used by lawyers in the ongoing Ayodhya case to prove that the city is in fact ancient.
R T Verma, counsel for the Hindu parties, said, “The discovery proves Ayodhya is an ancient religious city and disproves the claim to the contrary of the communists and Muslim parties.” The Ayodhya hearing resumes on Monday after the court’s Diwali vacation.
The Koreans believe that about 2,000 years ago, the then raja of Ayodhya had married off his 16-year-old daughter to the Korean king Suro. Suro was monarch of the then Kimhay kingdom, known today as Korea.
Interestingly, the Koreans believe that those who unified various Korean kingdoms in the 7th century AD were direct descendants of the Ayodhya princess. Since the first century AD, her descendants prospered and formed the largest clan in Korea – the Karak clan — whose members earned great distinction.
The current president of South Korea, Kim Dae-Jung, believes he is a descendant of the Great Princess of Ayodhya. He is a member of the Karak Clan Society, whose members say they are descendants of the queen.
The Ayodhya princess is regarded the most blessed queen of Korea in the last 2,000 years, and Koreans believe this could be due to the religious significance of the great temple city of Ayodhya, where Lord Ram was born.
Yesterday, wreaths were placed in memory of the princess near the banks of the Sarayu by consul-general of the Embassy of Korea, Kim Myong-Jim, a Korean minister and other members of that country’s delegation. Korean musicians specially flown in played beautiful music, far from the political din of Lucknow.
On the occasion, the consul-general of Korea said, “I hope historians will be able to learn more about this great ancient Hindu city.”
He urged the former raja of Ayodhya, BPN Misra, to strengthen cultural ties between Ayodhya and South Korea. Mishra has been merely a titular king since princely states were abolished, but people still address him as raja.
According to the commissioner of the Faizabad division, the Government of India has decided to organise the Festival of Ayodhya to promote greater cultural ties between Ayodhya and the South Korean city of Kim Hae.
By: Vinay Krishna Rastogi
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lucknow: A 15-member delegation from South Korea is currently in Ayodhya to revive the country’s 2,000-year-old link with the temple town.
South Korean history holds that a princess of Ayodhya — who they call the Great Princess of Ayodhya — was married to Korean king Suro in the first century AD.
This belief of the Koreans is to be used by lawyers in the ongoing Ayodhya case to prove that the city is in fact ancient.
R T Verma, counsel for the Hindu parties, said, “The discovery proves Ayodhya is an ancient religious city and disproves the claim to the contrary of the communists and Muslim parties.” The Ayodhya hearing resumes on Monday after the court’s Diwali vacation.
The Koreans believe that about 2,000 years ago, the then raja of Ayodhya had married off his 16-year-old daughter to the Korean king Suro. Suro was monarch of the then Kimhay kingdom, known today as Korea.
Interestingly, the Koreans believe that those who unified various Korean kingdoms in the 7th century AD were direct descendants of the Ayodhya princess. Since the first century AD, her descendants prospered and formed the largest clan in Korea – the Karak clan — whose members earned great distinction.
The current president of South Korea, Kim Dae-Jung, believes he is a descendant of the Great Princess of Ayodhya. He is a member of the Karak Clan Society, whose members say they are descendants of the queen.
The Ayodhya princess is regarded the most blessed queen of Korea in the last 2,000 years, and Koreans believe this could be due to the religious significance of the great temple city of Ayodhya, where Lord Ram was born.
Yesterday, wreaths were placed in memory of the princess near the banks of the Sarayu by consul-general of the Embassy of Korea, Kim Myong-Jim, a Korean minister and other members of that country’s delegation. Korean musicians specially flown in played beautiful music, far from the political din of Lucknow.
On the occasion, the consul-general of Korea said, “I hope historians will be able to learn more about this great ancient Hindu city.”
He urged the former raja of Ayodhya, BPN Misra, to strengthen cultural ties between Ayodhya and South Korea. Mishra has been merely a titular king since princely states were abolished, but people still address him as raja.
According to the commissioner of the Faizabad division, the Government of India has decided to organise the Festival of Ayodhya to promote greater cultural ties between Ayodhya and the South Korean city of Kim Hae.
