Kauai's Hindu Monestary
Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 10:09AM Sheila 
Below the etheral mists of Mt. Wai'ale'ale,the wettest spot on earth, located on Kauai, Hawaii, rests a sancturay unlike any other. This Hindu Monestary of the Tamil Saiva tradition of Sri Lanka and South India lies at the foot of an extinct volcano and encompases 376 acres of gardens, groves , glens, pools and waterfalls.
In addition to being a cloistered home and theological seminary for two dozen monks from six different parts of the globe, there is a Kadavul Temple, guarded by a 16-ton granite statue of Nandi the Bull. This temple currently houses the world's largest Sivalingam crystal, which will be placed in the Iraivan Temple currently under construction further down in the valley. The stones of the new white granite Iraivan Temple, massive in size and topped by gold-leafed domes, sre individually being carved by hand 10,000 miles away in India and shipped to Kauai, where Indian workers are constructing the building.
Formal guided tours of the temples and sacred grounds are conducted once per week. Call 1-888-735-1619 for reservations, or for self-guided daily tours, the upper grounds are open daily from 9 am to noon. Link to
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