GOING GODDESS™

Green Anole on sacred stone at Kukui Heiau



Kukui Heiau (Hawaiian temple) is situated on the grounds of Outrigger at Lae nani overlooking the ocean. Lae Nani, or "beautiful point of land," is an area sacred to the Hawaiian people and was a place for spiritual retreat in ancient times. The surrounding Wailua River valley was the homeland for Kauai's ruling chiefs and served as a center for cultural, religious and political activities. Kukui Heiau was one of several heiau constructed in this area where chiefs conducted ceremonies. This area figures prominently in legends of canoe voyaging between Hawaii and Pacific Islands thousands of miles south. Kukui Heiau, built nearly 500 years ago, at one time stood 230 feet long and 70 feet wide. Today, very few of the original features can be seen. Kukui Heiau stands as a symbol of Hawaiian culture and efforts to preserve and perpetuate the area's delicate threads of history.


Sacred offering at Kukui Heiau

The Plumeria is a flower that has been a large part of many Pacific island cultures such as the Hawaiian and the Polynesian cultures as well as the Mayans. The plumeria has a deep history in these cultures with a lot of symbolism and meaning that has been associated with this beautiful flower. To the Hawaiian, this flower is a symbol of Spring and therefore is associated with birth and life. In Mayan culture there was a close relationship between the flower and the sun. Mayans believed that the sun and the moon were the first inhabitants of the earth and through their procreation the human race was born. The plumeria was a symbol of this procreation and most experts believe that it is a symbol of procreation directly and indirectly a symbol for life.