UNESCO has already given its approval in principle for including the holy town in its list of protected sites.
The temple town of Ayodhya is likely to be declared a world heritage zone soon. This would put it on the international tourism map, and also bring in lavish foreign funding for the upkeep and preservation of its monuments.
The United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has already given its approval in principle for recognising Ayodhya as a world heritage site. The UP government is now required to submit a formal proposal to UNESCO.
The Ayodhya Faizabad Relations Trust (AFRT) has been chasing this proposal with UNESCO for several years. AFRT chief RPN Singh says he has met UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in this regard, and he has also given his assent to the proposal.
India already has 25 destinations in the world heritage zone list. In UP, the Taj Mahal is the only monument to find mention in this exclusive list.
Interestingly, Ayodhya has already been adopted by South Korea as the “sister city” of Kim Hae city there. On the banks of the Saryu, there is a memorial commemorating the birthplace of princess Ho Hwang-ok, daughter of an Ayodhya king, who is said to have later become queen of the ancient Kaya kingdom of Korea.
The legend of the 16-year-old Indian princess who sailed to Korea and married King Suro, is over 2,000 years old and is the stuff fairy tales are made of. The legend is narrated in Samguk Yusa, a Korean text written by a monk. The upshot of the tale is that the Korean city of Kimhae (as the Kaya city-state later came to be known as) has declared Ayodhya as its sister city.
Says ‘Raja’ Bimlendra Mohan Mishra, scion of Ayodhya’s ruling family, “When we came to know of the Korean connection, it was a big surprise for us. The memorial to queen Ho in Ayodhya is a major pilgrim centre for Koreans.”
It all started in 1997, when a South Korean delegation headed by BM Kim, a descendent of King Suro, visited Ayodhya and informed Mishra about the connection. The Ayodhya ‘Raja’ has since been invited to Korea and ties between the two cities strengthened, with a Rs200 cr Korean grant for Ayodhya.
The Kaya kingdom’s influence is still felt in modern day South Korea. Kimhae Kims and Kimhae Hos trace their origins to this ancient kingdom. The 72nd generation of the clan is the most important kinship in the Republic of South Korea today. The illustrious members of the clan include former president Kim Dae-Jung, former prime minister Kim Jong-Pil, and several top politicians and prominent industrialists.
Therein lies the Indian queen’s importance in Korea’s eyes – she is revered as the progenitor of two powerful clans which have survived to this day.
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