Background
One of the main reasons why we decided to go to Hawaii, was in fact to visit a very special temple. Whether you are Hindu or not, it is a fascinating site to visit. This particular temple was built in 1973, and the monastery was founded by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. He was a leader in Hinduism as he was head of the Nandinatha Sampradaya (sector of Hinduism that consists of Shiva devotees and emphasis on Yoga). His guru, Jnana guru Yogaswami, was a spiritual leader who resided in Sri Lanka and spoke Tamil. Therefore, as you can see by the video and pictures below, they preserve the Tamil language (eg. The way the Aum is spelled and engraved and the Murugan statues). See the video below to take a look inside one of the temples, the Kadavul Hindu Temple.
Info
- The temple (Kadavul) is open to the public daily from 9am to 12pm
- They request you dress modestly, so no shorts or revealing clothes. As seen at the end of the video, you are also able to borrow a shall in order to wrap around your clothing if required.
- The price is free, however, they do have a gift shop with affordable items and resources. Some of the items include their magazine Hinduism today, Rudraksha bracelets, books, and more!
- Although I didn’t get to see the second temple that is under construction, Iraivan Temple, there are tours available if you call in advance (can’t confirm if this would be included).
All in all, it was a great experience with amazing vibrations. Please see some of the photos I took below and let me know what you think about the temple or if you’ve been before.
