Iraivan Temple – Kauai
Iraivan Temple
America’s only All Granite Hindu Temple
Visitors Info:
Tours of the grounds and to the currently being constructed hand carved granite Iraivan temple take place on special tour days. The links below take you to more information located on this page.
To assist in planning your visit, you might check the Kapaa, Hawaii weather forecast.
Guest Tour Days
Tour dates are listed below for the coming months. Two one-hour tours begin at 9am and 11am sharp in the gazebo at the entrance of 107 Kaholalele Road. Tours are free, however the monastery welcomes all modest love offerings, as donations from all visitors are what allows us to continue to maintain and beautify this sanctuary. No reservations are necessary.
Monastic Retreat Days
Please note that our monastery follows the traditional lunar calendar,
panchangam. The table below shows dates when the monastery grounds beyond the front area are closed, including Iraivan Temple. These days are known as “monastic retreat days,” or days off for the monks. Hindus should plan their visit around these monastic retreat days. Bodhinatha and the monks are not available to meet with guests on these days.
| 2008 | |||
| May: | 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 20, 27, 28 | June: | 2, 3, 10, 11, 17, 18, 19, 25, 26 |
| July: | 2, 3, 9, 10, 17, 18, 19, 25, 26, 31 | Aug: | Monastic long retreat: 1-15 16, 17, 23, 24, 29, 30 |
| Sept: | 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 28, 29 | Oct: | 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 28, 29 |
| Nov: | 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 26, 27 | Dec: | Monastic long retreat: 1-14 18, 19, 26, 27 |
| 2009 | |||
| Jan: | 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 25, 26 | Feb: | 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24 |
| March: | 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26 Monastic long retreat: 30, 31 |
April: | Monastic long retreat: 1-12 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17, 24, 25 |
| May: | 1, 2, 8, 9, 10 |
Introduction to the monastery and Hinduism.
Kadavul Hindu Temple with its central sanctum housing a 250-year-old bronze statue of God Siva as Lord of the Dance. The temple also houses Iraivan Temple’s future 700-pound, 39-inch-tall quartz crystal Sivalingam deity.
The 458-acre spiritual sanctuary with its botanical gardens, waterways and ponds.
Watch the stone craftsmen, silpis, from India carve and assemble the granite Iraivan Temple – a noble icon of Hinduism’s beauty and greatness.
The awesome monolithic 20,000 pound, 12-foot-tall black granite statue of Siva as Dakshinamurth.
Some Important Guidelines
We ask visitors to bring an umbrella and wear modest clothing, no shorts, short dresses,
t-shirts, tank tops. Hindu dress is ideal. Guests are also invited to visit our gift shop. Photography of the inside of Kadavul Hindu Temple is not permitted. All other areas may be photographed. Remember, it is always prudent, even in paradise, not to leave valuables in your car.
Pilgrimage
Hindus who are wishing to come on pilgrimage to do special sadhana and have darshan with Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami should email hara@hindu.org or call (808) 822-3012 ext. 237 well in advance for a schedule of appropriate days to arrange your pilgrimage.
Darshan with Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami
If you are planning a visit to Kauai and wish to have darshan with Bodhinatha, please plan your visit around his frequent travels, and also take note that when he is on the island, he is not necessarily available every day. So, be sure to call or e-mail ahead of time to arrange a possible meeting. For the current status of his travels, please visit Bodhinatha’s travel page.
Directions to Kauai’s Hindu Monastery
The monastery address is 107 Kaholalele RD Kapaa, Hawaii, 96746. To get to the monastery, driving north from the airport on Kuhio Highway toward Kapaa town, watch for the lights just after the bridge over the Wailua River. Get in the left lane; turn left, inland, at the lights onto Kuamo’o Road (between Coco Palms Hotel and the Wailua River). Continue up the hill, for just over 4 miles. One-quarter mile past the 4-mile marker, turn left on Kaholalele Road and go one block to the end of the road. Our Information Center is at 107. Park on Temple Lane and enter the open pavilion. You can find our phone number in the island phone book, under “Churches/Hindu, Saiva Siddhanta Church.”
Donate to HHE
Your donation will be added to the principal of the endowment funds you choose, invested in perpetuity and provide a permanent and growing source of income to the fund’s beneficiary institution thus helping to strengthen Hinduism worldwide for this and future generations. US donations are tax deductible.
Many Ways to Contribute
http://www.himalayanacademy.com/ssc/hawaii/iraivan/donate/donate_iraivan.shtml#donation-form
Sponsor Specific Stones - Pick a stone from this list (click to view)
Help with Iraivan’s Amazing Floor
For small budgets, the floor stone project offers options between $215.00 and $3,765.00.
Click and choose a floor stone that fits your budget
Click here to download a PDF of the temple floor plan (sponsorships listed in Malaysian Ringitts on the PDF).
Bhuta Stones are the supporting course of the inner sanctum, $5,000.00 each. Click here to see and learn about the Bhuta stones.
Travel Tips:
Sit on the left side of the plane next to a window to get a clear view of Kauai.
Source File from:
Kauai Hindu Monastery website http://www.himalayanacademy.com/ssc/hawaii
