Iraivan Temple

Iraivan Temple
San Marga Iraivan Temple
San Marga Iraivan Temple
Iraivan Temple
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DeityLord Shiva
Location
LocationKapaʻa
StateHawaii
CountryUnited States
Iraivan Temple is located in North Pacific
Iraivan Temple
Shown within North Pacific
Iraivan Temple is located in Hawaii
Iraivan Temple
Iraivan Temple (Hawaii)
Geographic coordinates22°03′34″N 159°23′49″W / 22.059361°N 159.396946°W / 22.059361; -159.396946
Architecture
TypeChola-style Temple
CreatorKauai Hindu Monastery and architect V. Ganapati Sthapati
Date established1990 construction started
Website
www.himalayanacademy.com

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]

  1. ^ "Iraivan temple in the news". THE GARDEN ISLAND.
  2. ^ "Iraivan Temple In the News". THE NEW YORK TIMES & The Navhind Times.
  3. ^ "Island Temple" (PDF).