Queen Heo Hwang-ok

Suriratna also known as Heo Hwang-ok, was the queen mentioned in the 13th-century Korean Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms. She became the wife of King Suro at the age of 16 when she arrived by boat from the distant kingdom “Ayuta,” and she became the first Queen of King Suro, according to the Mikuni Remains. Today, more than 6 million Koreans, date back to the legendary Queen, a direct descendant. Her hometown is said to be in the ancient city of Ayodhya, India. There is a tomb that seems to be her tomb in Gimhae, South Korea, and a monument in Ayodhya, India.

Highlights

She was a Korean queen believed to have been born in Ayodhya’s, the daughter of King Padmasen and Queen Indumati. Padmasen dominated the ancient kingdom of Kausara, a region that stretched from UP to Odisha today. The memorial park now houses a bust-bearing Queen and King pavilion and a pond depicting the journey of the Princess. The story is described in Samguk Yusa which is a collection of folk tales, legends and history from the Three Kingdoms of Korea, Silla and Baekje. In 48 BC, the princess travelled to South Korea from the ancient land of Ayuta, and married Kim Suro. There is no consensus among historians about the location of Ayuta, as some historians believe that the princess may actually be from the Kingdom of Ayutthaya in Thailand.

Travelling to Korea

She traveled by boat with an aide sent by her father, who is said to have dreamed of the princess marrying King Suro. Next to her tomb is a tower believed to have been brought from India by the Queen to calm the sea gods. Legend has it that the princess brought golden eggs to South Korea and there are granite eggs in the park.

Gimhae Tomb

The tomb, which is believed to be the tomb King Suro and Heo Hwang-ok, is located in Gimhae in South Korea. Near her tomb is a tower traditionally shipped to South Korea. Samgukuyusa reports that towers were built on their ships to calm the gods of the sea and let them pass through. The unusual rough shape of this tower, unlike any other tower in South Korea, can give the report some credibility of her being from Ayodhya.

Queen Heo Hwang-ok memorial in Ayodhya

n 2001, the Heo Hwang-ok monument was launched by a Korean delegation of more than 100 historians and government officials. In the year 2016, a Korean delegation proposed the development of a monument. This proposal was accepted by Akhilesh Yadav, then CM of Uttar Pradesh. In the year 2018, on the eve of the Deepavali Festival, South Korean first lady Kim Jung Sook laid the cornerstone for the beautification and expansion of the existing monument. Hundreds of Koreans visit Ayodhya each year in honor of the legendary Queen Heo Hwang-ok.