July 1, 2007
Source: The Times of India
WAILUA (HAWAII): In a clearing within Kauai Aadheenam's lush gardens, the ping, ping, pinging of metal chipping at stone can be heard as a half-dozen artisans from India put the finishing flourishes on the Hindu monastery's legacy for the ages.
Hand-carved in granite and shipped in pieces to the island from India, the Iraivan Temple is faithful to the precise design formulas defined by South Indian temple builders a thousand years ago. The $8 million temple of Lord Shiva is the first all-stone Hindu temple outside of India, according to the Kauai monks. The project is a rarity.