Introduction to Kauai’s Hindu Monastery

Tropical rainforests, soaring cliffs, cerulean seas, cascading waterfalls. This remote island is home to Kauai’s Hindu Monastery, a center of global outreach for Hinduism and intense spiritual practice leading to experience of the Divine within all. Its guru lineage is rooted in the Saiva tradition of Sri Lanka & South India, extending back 2,200 years to the Himalayas. The monastery was founded by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami and thrives today under the guidance of Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami. In the Kadavul Temple, visitors encounter the powerful blessings of God Siva, Ganesha and Karttikeya. Against the majestic backdrop of Mount Waialeale sits the crown jewel, the all-granite, hand-carved Iraivan Temple, inspired by Gurudeva’s mystical visions of Siva. Here Bodhinatha and two dozen tireless monks live a joyous life committed to God Realization, worship of Siva and selfless religious service. They grow their own food and wear handspun robes. Yet, hidden amidst it all there dwells a high-tech world where monks sit at Macintosh computers, crafting books, videos, websites and the international magazine Hinduism Today. We invite you to explore our resource-rich website, where Hinduism meets the future. (Written by the monks of Kauai’s Hindu Monastery. Directed and edited by Sushma Khadepaun-Parmar of Cutting Chai Productions. Narrated by Ben Patrick Johnson.)