WAILUA HOMESTEADS — No one seems to be in too much of a rush to complete the engineering marvel that is the Iraivan Temple on the grounds of Kaua‘i’s Hindu Monastery here. Various estimates put the completion date at 2012,
WAILUA HOMESTEADS — No one seems to be in too much of a rush to complete the engineering marvel that is the Iraivan Temple on the grounds of Kaua‘i’s Hindu Monastery here.
Various estimates put the completion date at 2012, or sooner or later, depending on the ability to raise the $3 million left for the $16 million temple.
It is made of white granite, crafted by stone masons from India using only hand tools, and is designed to last a minimum of 1,000 years.
After this one, there will not be another built like it, say the swamis, yogis and sadhakas who inhabit the sprawling monastery that includes 51 acres of land on both sides of the North Fork of the Wailua River.
The temple was first seen in a vision by the late Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (Gurudeva) in 1975.
“Iraivan” is an ancient Tamil word for God, meaning, “He who is worshiped.”
Each pillar of the new temple tells a story, illustrated with Hawaiian plants as well as other flora, as plants carry special significance to Hindus, said the young monk in training who guided a recent tour of the temple and grounds.
As it is tradition for young monks in training to avoid credit, his name will not be mentioned in this article.
The center of the grounds at present is the Kadavul Hindu Temple, inside of which is a wall with figurines of 108 postures of the dancing Siva, as well as a six-foot-tall bronze statue of God Siva as Nataraja, Lord of the Dance.
The temple also houses a 700-pound, 39-inch-tall quartz crystal Sivalingam deity that eventually will be moved to the inner sanctum of the new temple.
Monks worship there every three hours, with only the 9 a.m. worship gathering open to the public.
There, monks and other faithful Hindus through meditation, yoga and prayer seek to pull energy gained in the temple out for good uses outside the temple, the monks said.
So will be the case with the new temple.
The young monk leading a recent tour said Gurudeva’s spirit remains on the grounds, with Gurudeva pledging to remain until his three successors have reached similar enlightenment Gurudeva reached before his physical passing from this world.
Hindus believe in reincarnation, so death is not the end of things for them.
Gurudeva’s three hand-picked successors include the current guru, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, called “Bodhinatha,” who is publisher of Hinduism Today, a quarterly magazine produced on the grounds; Paramacharya Palaniswami (“Palani”), editor in chief of Hinduism Today; and the Rev. Swami Arumugam Katir (“Arumugaswami”), managing editor of Hinduism Today.
They are all part of one of five families, or kulums, at the monastery, each responsible for various aspects of the facility: temples and kitchen; teaching and church administration; finance and business; buildings and grounds; and publishing.
The front monastery area, including Kadavul Hindu Temple, is open to the public daily from 9 a.m. to noon.
Approximately once a week, a guided tour begins at 9 a.m. in the gazebo at the monastery entrance, 107 Kaholalele Rd.
It lasts about 90 minutes. The tour is free, however, donations are accepted as this allows work to continue on the Iraivan Temple, sanctuary and grounds.
Parking is limited, so reservations are required. Call toll-free 1-888-735-1619 to find out upcoming tour dates and reserve parking space.
The walking tour includes an introduction to the monastery and Hinduism; the 51-acre spiritual sanctuary with its botanical gardens, waterways and ponds; up-close views of the stone craftsmen; the 20,000-pound, 12-foot-tall black granite statue of God Siva as Dakshinamurthi; and more.
For more information, visit www.himalayanacademy.com/ssc/hawaii/visiting.shtml#Guests.
• Paul C. Curtis, assistant editor and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@kauaipubco.com.
