Will Indian Princess-Korean King’s love story be popular as Taj Mahal’s Shah Jahan and Mumtaj?

NEW DELHI. Will the love story of Princess Suriratna of Ayodhya and South Korean King Kim Suro become as popular as that of the story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal of Taj Mehal fame?

And will the memorial park being constructed in the memory of Indian Princess-turned-Korean Queen Huh (Heo) Hwang-ok at 24 acres of land on the banks of Saryu river in Ayodhya be known for their eternal love as is done in the case of Taj Mahal?

At least, the Korean Defence Minister Suh Wook who visited Ayodhya on Saturday last on March 27 to review the construction work of the memorial park and Indo-Korean Monument coming up in memory of Queen Heo Hwang-ok, expects that this memorial in India would become as famous as is Taj Mahal for the love story attached to it.

Shah Jahan had got Taj Mahal made in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, some 470kms from Ayodhya.

The Korean minister visited the park after being to Agra where he went to see the world-famous heritage monument, Taj Mahal. Prior to this the same day in the morning, minister Suh Wook along with Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh had inaugurated the Indo-Korean Friendship Park in New Delhi.

Ayodhya is popularly known in India for being the birthplace of Lord Ram and has been in news worldwide for the construction of Ram Temple.

However, very few know in India know about a story of Ayodhya princess Suriratna traveling to Korea in 48 AD, about 2000 years back, and getting married to King Suro to establish the Kharak dynasty there.  Millions of Koreans trace their ancestry to the legendary princess, and some of them also visit Ayodhya memorial sites to pay their tribute to their Queen every year.

Though the Ayodhya administration claims that the Queen Huh park would be complete by the end of this year, the Korean government expects this to be ready by the Diwali festival when a senior leader, probably President Moon Jae-in arrives here to inaugurate the park around that time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Korean President Moon had signed an MoU in 2015 during the former’s visit to South Korea for expansion and beautification of the existing memorial of Queen Huh Hwang-ok.

As per the architectural plan of this park, it has one huge black stone inscribed with the love story of Princess Suriratna-turned-Queen Huh and King Kim Suro.

The park also has Indian and Korean tombs – for Queen Huh and King Suro both, and there lies a pond between the two tombs.

Both the tombs are connected with a bridge through the pond giving a picture of the sea that Princess Suriratna sailed through to reach Gimhae province to marry King Suro there.

Korean Defence Minister Suh Wook also walked through this bridge, and took a keen interest in the progress of the construction of the park, which he expected would become a landmark destination for every Korean visiting India in times to come.

It is mention-worthy here that Princess Suriratna-Korean King Suro’s love story is likely to get featured in an upcoming book of international love stories by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Efforts are also underway to induct this story into the textbooks of schools in India to make the young students learn about the deep-rooted relations between India and South Korea.