This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: Construction progress updates needed past April 2023. (February 2024) |
Iraivan Temple | |
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San Marga Iraivan Temple | |
Religion | |
Affiliation | Hinduism |
Deity | Lord Shiva |
Location | |
Location | Kapaʻa |
State | Hawaii |
Country | United States |
Geographic coordinates | 22°03′34″N 159°23′49″W / 22.059361°N 159.396946°W |
Architecture | |
Type | Chola-style Temple |
Creator | Kauai Hindu Monastery and architect V. Ganapati Sthapati |
Date established | 1990 construction started |
Website | |
www |
The San Marga Iraivan Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located on Kauai, an island in the state of Hawaii, USA. "Iraivan" means "One Above All," and is one of the oldest words for God in the Tamil language. It is the first all-stone, white granite temple to be built in the western hemisphere[1] whose construction began in 1990.[2] The Iraivan Temple is located next to the Wailua River and 8 km from Mount Waialeale. It is maintained by the Saiva Siddhanta Church which is also known as Kauai Aadheenam and Kauai's Hindu Monastery. The temple is under construction. The main murti, or worshipful icon, is a rare spathika Sivalinga, a pointed, six-faced 700-pound clear quartz crystal.
Sri Trichy Mahaswamigal (d. 2005) of Kailash Ashram, Bangalore, describes the temple's importance: "The Iraivan Temple is going to be to America what the temples of Chidambaram, Madurai, Rameshwaram, and other great Siva temples are to India."[3]