Kauaʻi's Hindu Monastery

Top choice


Serious pilgrims and curious sightseers are welcome at this Hindu monastery, set on 70 acres and surrounded by verdant forest above the Wailua River. The property was an old inn, until the monks bought it in 1966. Now it's a blend of organic and botanical gardens, cascading streams, and sacred temples and shrines devoted to Ganesha, Nandi and Shiva.

While visitors can access a limited area on their own, more detailed guided tours are offered for free once a week – call or check the website for details. Modest dress required: no shorts, T-shirts, tank tops or short dresses. If you're not dressed properly, you can borrow sarongs at the entrance.

The Kadavul Temple (which visitors may not enter, except to attend a 9am daily worship service) contains a rare single-pointed quartz crystal, a 50-million-year-old, six-sided shivalingam (representation of the god Shiva) that weighs 700lb and stands over 3ft tall. Monks have performed a puja (prayer ritual) here every three hours around the clock since the temple was established in 1973.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Wailua Falls

1.88 MILES

Made famous in the opening credits of Fantasy Island, these falls appear at a distance. When they are in full flow and misting the surrounding tropical…

2. Keahua Arboretum

1.94 MILES

Sitting prettily at the top of Kuamoʻo Rd around seven miles from Wailua, this arboretum has grassy fields, a gurgling stream and groves of rainbow…

3. Kamokila Hawaiian Village

2.35 MILES

This 4-acre site along the Wailua River has reproductions of traditional Hawaiian structures amid thriving gardens of guava, mango and banana trees. While…

4. ʻOpaekaʻa Falls Lookout

2.41 MILES

While not a showstopper, these 150ft-high waterfalls make for an easy roadside stop, less than 2 miles up Kuamoʻo Rd. For the best photographs, go in the…

6. Wailua River State Park

2.56 MILES

To ancient Hawaiians, the Wailua River was among the most sacred places across the islands. The river basin, near its mouth, was one of the island’s two…

7. Poliʻahu Heiau

2.61 MILES

Perched high on a hill overlooking the meandering Wailua River, well-preserved Poliʻahu Heiau, a luakini (temple dedicated to war god Ku), is named after…

8. Smith's Tropical Paradise

3.18 MILES

Other gardens might have fancier landscaping, but you can’t beat Smith’s for value. Take a leisurely stroll along a mile-long loop trail past a serene…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "usa/hawaii/wailua/attractions/kaua-i-s-hindu-monastery/a/poi-sig/453893/1333493",
      "position": "superzone"
    }