South Korean delegation makes two-day visit to Ayodhya to commemorate cultural roots

Ayodhya: A 78-member delegation of South Korean citizens paid a two-day visit to Ayodhya, commemorating their cultural roots, Mayor Girish Pati Tripathi said on Friday.

The delegation, which arrived on Thursday, also extended its best wishes on Holi, he added.

The delegation of South Korea's Karak clan visited the Queen Heo Memorial Park at Naya Ghat to commemorate their cultural roots and paid tribute at the monument built two-and-a-half years ago.

The delegation visited the Ram temple and attended the 'aarti' on the banks of the Saryu river on Thursday.

According to Korean legend, a teenage princess from Ayodhya crossed the ocean in a boat some 2,000 years ago, sailed 4,500 kilometres to Korea, and married King Kim Suro who founded the Gaya kingdom in that country. The princess, Suriratna, then became Queen Heo Hwang-ok.

Around 60 lakh people in South Korea, who consider themselves to be descendants of Suriratna, see Ayodhya as their maternal homeland.

Many members of the Karak clan visit Ayodhya every year to pay tribute at the memorial, set up on the banks of the Saryu in 2001 in a partnership between the Uttar Pradesh government and the Gimhae city in South Korea.