Summer Isles of Eden lying in dark purple spheres of the sea” – Isabella L Bird
The loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean” – Mark Twain
Spectacular natural beauty, jagged peaks ascending majestically through cotton candy clouds, shimmering colors on the horizon, azure waters of the Pacific ocean, cascading waterfalls swirling into jungle pools, gloriously colorful and lush vegetation in magical rain forests, volcanoes creating a river of molten gold lava that snakes through and hisses into the ocean, the crescendo of crashing waves against rugged rocks as underwater marine dwells serenely in the emerald depths, the air laden with the fragrance of tropical flowers and the spirit of “aloha”- the panorama of constant rainbows displayed on the sky, as African drums serenade visitors…
Flying at 35,000 feet when you look down upon the Hawaiian Islands at daytime, the brilliance of the sun’s rays reflected resplendently across the emerald waters of the Pacific Ocean, it takes your breath away. If you fly in at night time the vast body of water glows with the island lights twinkling like a million stars on a watery galaxy. Is it surprising then that countless visitors have and continue to be mesmerized by the magic these islands weave around them?
As I land at Honolulu airport, I’m amazed that in spite of being the hot spot of the world there is a serenity that I have not witnessed at any other airport. Every one is a personification of warmth and courtesy- no rush; no flaring tempers. The air is laden with the fragrance of the beautiful lei garlands used to welcome visitors. The coconut trees, the tropical flowers and the soothing breeze makes even the wait for your car at the airport a very pleasant experience.
To most people Hawaii is nothing beyond an exotic land, a collection of beach resorts, and nature at its most magnificent, but there is much more to Hawaii than this. The Hawaiian islands, which have been built by a succession of volcanic eruptions and overlaying lava flows, are approximately 30 million years old. They were initially discovered by early Polynesians who were accomplished navigators and arrived here several hundred years before Columbus discovered America. The islands were isolated from the world for a long time, and every living being, every flora and fauna that found its way to the islands evolved in complete isolation and that is why some of the plants and animals one sees in Hawaii are not found anywhere else in the world. The islands are home to thousands of species, but of the 2400 native plant species remaining, almost half are endangered. It’s a happier story in the sea. Hawaiian monk seals, dolphins and whales are year-round residents, though it’s the huge, migrating humpback whales that everyone wants to see.
The Polynesians who made these islands their home were ruled under a social, political system comprising of the royalty, priests, sorcerers and a warrior class. The most powerful warrior of those times was King Kamehameha the Great who consolidated all the Hawaiian Islands and brought them under his rule by 1810. In 1778 Captain James Cook discovered the islands. He was initially mistaken by the Hawaiians to be their God of Harvest and welcomed, but a year later, murdered by a local Hawaiian in an altercation. Captain Cook nevertheless introduced the islands to the world and 1779 onwards there was a great influx of foreign immigrants.
In 1820, the first Christian missionaries arrived in the islands. They were allowed to stay on a trial basis for a year by the then King Kamehameha II. The missionaries however stayed on. They clothed the Hawaiians and introduced them to Christianity. Within ten years of their stay more than half the population of Hawaii could read. They also printed the first Hawaiian language bible and started schools. In addition to Hawaiian, the unofficial language is “pidgin English” which is a mixture of English, Chinese, Hawaiian, Japanese, and Filipino. Many Hawaiians still take pride in speaking Pidgin English even though they know traditional English very well. It was under the rule of King Kamehameha the 3rd that Hawaii was recognized by the then great powers of the world, France, Britain, and the United States.
During the first half of the 19th century Hawaii evolved from a small village to a key trading and naval port, as well as the center of the whaling industry. By 1870, whaling had ended and the sugarcane industry started flourishing -very soon more foreign labor came in and the islands became a multi cultured ethnic melting pot. The Hawaiian monarchy came to an end with the overthrow of their last ruler, Queen Liliuokalani in 1893. The 20th century saw the marketing of Hawaii as a major tourist hotspot as communication technology became more advanced. The first non stop flight from the mainland to Hawaii was in l927.With the famous Pearl Harbor attack Hawaii became an armed camp and command center for US forces. In August 1959 Hawaii became the 50th state of the union.
There are in actuality 132 islands, the 8 major islands and 124 smaller ones, reefs, atolls and shoals). All of the islands have evolved from volcanic activities. The state of Hawaii is 6,427 miles long.
Kauai
KAUAI
Kauai is called the “Garden Isle” and has some of the grandest and most magnificent scenery in the islands with lush vegetation, enthralling waterfalls, gentle rainforest streams, magnificent valleys in emerald hues, palm trees swaying and rainbows flitting across the horizon, spectacular golden beaches, birds serenading the sunrise as essence of ginger, plumeria wafts through tropical downpours. Kauai also houses the Waimea Canyon predictably dubbed the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific” – An ancient river carved the canyon and its colorful river-cut gorge is 2785-ft (835m.) deep. Kauai is also called the separate kingdom because it resisted King Kamehameha’s efforts to be part of his united island kingdom. Kauai does not allow any high rise buildings and has practically no nightlife. If you want to be one with nature, revel in its raw wilderness, then Kauai is a must.
OAHU
Oahu, nicknamed “The Gathering Place”, is the most populous, most developed and most well known of the Hawaiian Islands and where the state capital Honolulu is located. Honolulu is America’s 11th largest city and some cynics call it “LA West” but nowhere else can you find rain forests, deep canyon, valleys and waterfalls, a nearly mile long high mountain range, coral reef, and golden beaches. The names and images most commonly conjured up by the mention of Hawaii are all here: Honolulu, Waikiki, Pearl Harbor and Sunset Beach.
Oahu
Honolulu, is the major entry and exit point for travelers. Honolulu and Waikiki form a relentless urban area of freeways and high rises that resembles a hybrid of Miami Beach and downtown Tokyo. The vast majority of the island’s tourist infrastructure is located in this area. The best place to watch people is Waikiki beach-the sun sits at a perfect angle on this beach to give you the perfect tan.
Outside the urban perimeter is all the beaches you could wish for, aqua-blue bays, fluted mountains and valleys carpeted with pineapple fields. The island’s surf beaches (try Banzai Pipeline, Sunset Beach, Makaha) are legendary, but there is also great bodysurfing (Makapuu Beach, Waimea Bay), windsurfing (Kailua Bay), snorkeling (Hanauma Bay) and diving (Three Tables and nearby Shark’s Cove). As the only US city located in the tropics, the only one with a royal palace and the only one that can claim an equal blend of Western, Asian and Polynesian influences, Honolulu offers visitors a bonanza of cross cultural attractions.
Hawaii’s most visited attraction is the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, north-west of Honolulu, where 1.5 million visitors come each year to learn about the surprise Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, and to pay their respects to the 2335 dead US servicemen. You can go climb the old volcano, the Diamond Head Crater. Just about everyone can make this easy 1.4 mile round trip which goes to the top of a 750 feet volcanic cave where you can have a 360 degree view of Oahu. Watch the sun set in the Pacific from a 1,048-foot hill named after a sweet potato-actually it’s more romantic than it sounds! Weather wise too Oahu is the best-the Big Island is hotter, Kauai wetter, Maui has more wind, Molokai and Lanai are dryer, but Oahu enjoys 82 degree days almost the year round.
Maui
MAUI
Maui is known as “The Valley Island” because it comprises of two large extinct volcanoes (Haleakala and Puu Kukui) divided by a central valley. It’s the second largest of Hawaiian Islands and the most developed of the neighbor Islands. Maui meets all your expectations for a tropical paradise. Swaying palm trees, luminous sand coves, waterfalls caressing the mountains, jungles resplendent with radiant colors, silvery moonlight. Next to Waikiki, Maui has become the most popular and hip destination welcoming two and a half million visitors each year to its shores. The 10,023 feet Mt Haleakale is the world’s largest dormant volcano. East Maui is dominated by Haleakala (literally “House of the Sun”). There are incredible hiking trails across the moonscape crater floor and the crater rim is an awesome place to watch the sun rise. The windward side of Haleakala is beautifully lush, wet and rugged. It’s skirted by the justly famous, coastal Hana Highway which passes a tropical jungle, roadside waterfalls and sedate country towns. The highland area on the western slopes of Haleakala has some of Maui’s finest countryside, with cloud forests, rolling hills, green pastures, landscaped gardens and wineries. There are fine hikes in the Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area in the Kula Forest Reserve.
HAWAII – THE BIG ISLAND
Hawaii is called the Big Island because it is bigger than all the others islands. It rises from sea level to the highest volcanic twin peaks in the island Mauna Kea at 13,796 feet and MaunaLoa at 13,677 feet. These towering peaks dominate the islands. Five volcanoes, one still erupting have created this continuous island which is growing bigger daily. In fact ancient Hawaiian chants talk about a great burning in the night skies which guided the travelers to the land of volcanoes. In a week the Kilaluea volcano can produce enough lava to fill a stadium the size of The Houston Astrodome. The Big Island is not for every one.. People are often taken aback by it’s starkness, lava fields and black beaches. For water sports this is paradise. It is the least explored island out of them all but if you want to be primitive, this is the one place you will feel at home. In a day’s duration you can see volcanic rumblings, swim with the dolphins, see the stars from atop the world’s tallest mountain and catch blue marlin, ski downhill and surf the waves.
MOLOKAI
Molokai is called the friendly isle. Born of volcanic eruption a half million years ago, there are more people of Hawaiian blood here than anywhere else. This island is the cradle of the hula dance , and the ancient science of aqua culture. The residents survive by fishing and hunting. Families are important, friendship ties are cherished and the Hawaiian concept of taking care of the elderly and the land remains a priority. The modern Hawaii, high rise hotels, shopping centers and other trappings of tourism have not been able to gain a foothold here. Molokai’s waterfalls, and greatest collection of fishponds, the world’s tallest sea cliffs and sand dunes, coral reefs, rain forests, hidden coves and gloriously empty beaches awe people who come to find the real Hawaii. Rugged, red dirt Molokai is not for everyone; but those who want to explore remote places and seek their own adventure will love it here. Molokai shuts down after sunset. It has cattle ranches, small family farms, coffee orchards and a very rural, laid back atmosphere.
It is a place to unwind and escape life’s hectic pace. This friendly Isle was once called the Lonely Isle due to the powers of the priestly class who were feared throughout the island for their supposedly supernatural powers. Below the cliffs on the Makanalua peninsula is the famed Hansen’s disease settlement at Kalau’papa where leprosy victims were banished in the 1800s. It was on this scene that father Damien De Veuster, a Belgian priest came upon in 1873 and chose to go to Kalaupapa to minister to the sick and dying lepers until he caught the disease himself and died.
HAWAII’S INDIAN COMMUNITY
The Indian community in the Hawaiian Islands is not very large. There are about 1000 Indians in the Hawaiian islands and the larger number, about 200-300 reside in Oahu. The family that has perhaps made the greatest impact in introducing the Indian culture and retaining its heritage has been the industrialist family of the Watumulls. The scion of the family Jhamandas Watumull came here in 1914 to establish a business of import and export and sent his younger brother to look after half of the business.
“I came here as a young bride in 1953,” recalls Mrs. Indru Watumull, his daughter in- law, “and I remember it took us forever to get here. Everything looked so small, there were no tall buildings, hardly any traffic. It was a novelty for the people to see the Indian products that we imported. Now of course things are totally different. With travel and advances in technology as well as the internet, people are more aware of India and its culture, and of course in our own way our family has supported and tried to introduce India to the people of Hawaii. We have brought in scholars, lecturers, artists, historians and writers and introduced them to the community. We have had two major Indian
plays performed at the University of Hawaii, and have invited people like Zakir Hussain, and Ali Akbar Khan. I had also brought a famous potter, Palliappan from South India. He along with his assistant demonstrated his work at the Honolulu Academy of Arts for six weeks. We also brought a patola weaver from Baroda who conducted workshops on how to weave a patola saree from scratch. It is a very difficult and intricate procedure.”
“We have an Indian gallery at the museum named after my father in-law and the funds endowed are used for promotion of Indian art. We have Indian artifacts on display and my husband and I gave a lot of our personal jewelry too, from the 19th century to be shown there. We got the drawings and paintings from The Ebrenfeld collection of Indian Art to be displayed here and we have sponsored the Indian movies shown here at the Hawaiian film festival. We had the Gandhi statue installed here at one of the parks and have sent the Asian art curator and director of our museum to India to get a first hand view of Indian culture and heritage. We have also provided books on India for the university of Hawaii as well as the museum here. We also do a dinner and an Indian fashion show at a community college here as part of the Asian Festivals and it is usually a spectacular affair. Recently some people have started MILAN a group of people from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Srilanka and other south Asian countries to embody a spirit of unity. There is a nominal fee to join and its a great way to keep our heritage alive.”
Namita Sappal, an executive with IBM came to Hawaii when she was not yet two and went to USC San Diego for her college degree. Currently working in upstate New York, Namita says there is no place like Hawaii in the world!” The one extremely great thing about Hawaii is that the people who live here are predominantly of Asian origin so the cultural values are very similar to that of India. Every one respects their elders, friends and cousins and neighbors are an extended family. And truly we have this spirit of “aloha” ingrained deep within us. You can see the beauty of the islands in pictures and films but you really have to come and live here to appreciate the inner beauty, the warmth and kindness of the people who live here.”
Businessman Mahinder Singh Mann and his wife Talvinder moved from South Africa to USA and then to Hawaii in the 1970s. “It was beautiful, and the culture was so similar to ours,” he recalls. Asked if he would return the mainland, he says “Well I am ambivalent about that. After a while you also get used to the solitude and the beauty of the environment. People are very driven and vocal about all that they are trying to achieve in the mainland. In Hawaii everyone works harder because it is so expensive to live here-people think all we do here is hula dance and surf; but the truth is every household has every single member in it working, and people still following a joint family system so that they can all contribute towards a house. People are as driven here but not as explosive as they are in the mainland.”
“My outlook to life has changed since moving here 12 years ago,” says Mira Savara who has lived in major metropolitan cities in India, Singapore and the States. “I used to be very status conscious – everything had to be right. Now material things don’t affect me at all. I’d rather be surrounded by good friends and be happy and laid back than worry if the next lady’s diamond is bigger than mine. We are one happy family. In the mainland every one has their own cliques – here we are so happy to see another Indian, and everyone looks out for each other; the community is small but very close knit.” Her 21 year old son Siddharth loves Hawaii. In spite of being an outstanding student who was wooed by all the top notch universities, he decided to do his undergraduate studies in Hawaii.” I have had friends who have come running back from Princeton and Harvard because they felt so homesick and couldn’t handle the stress.” His younger brother, 18 year old Aditya, on the other hand dreams of living in a place with pine cones and heavy snow!
Alka Mehta, a Graphic designer, says she loves the weather especially. “There is a saying here that if you are somewhere in Hawaii and you don’t like the weather, keep on driving till you hit the weather you like!” Aparna Shah a physician moved here in 1977 and chose to stay here because she felt the cultural values were the kind they wanted their daughters to imbibe and grow up with. This sentiment is echoed by Rita Jetley who lives in India and could afford to send her children in any part of the world but chose for two of them to study in Hawaii. “I have family here and that was a plus, but I simply love the atmosphere here – it is very safe and peaceful and there is no pressure. Everyone welcomes you and this is the closest to an Indian environment that my children can get, and of course this is truly paradise.”
Meena Ganpathy and her husband Venu, both physicians moved from New York to Hawaii in 1993. “When my husband mentioned Hawaii I asked, “Where? We are not moving out of United States,” Meena laughs. “He said no we are not. It’s the 50th state of US and then he proceeded to show me this miniscule structure in this vast Pacific ocean and I remember saying quite aghast, “You are not serious are you?” Being army-brats we did have this adventurous spirit to pack our bags and try out new places, but this was a bit too much even for me. Well when he came for the interview he fell in love with the place.”
“When I came here I did not like it. They had put us up in a condominium at North shore, in the countryside. The trip by taxi to our home took forever, and cost 100 dollars! I said are we going backwards in time? It is like going from Delhi to some village in India. It was a 90 minute drive from home to office and that too when there was no traffic. After a few months, we changed homes, I started working part time and made some friends. It was so safe and my kids loved the place. I did go through what the Hawaiians popularly call “rock fever” where you get this feeling of immense claustrophobia that you are stuck on this immense rock and there is no where to go. You can’t get into your car and head out to another city as we did in the mainland. Even the closest destination is a five hour flight and it gets expensive. But as you live in these islands you realize how different the lifestyle is in such a positive way.”
“My colleagues are wonderful, very laid back and relaxed, even the patients are very laid back and relaxed, and everyone is so polite and thoughtful towards each other. New York was a mad house. Everyone is obsessed with money, and so rushed. Even though culturally there is more to see there but often we would bypass a lot of the events because either it was too long a drive, or parking was a problem. We had a lot of friends but we barely met them once or twice a year. In fact once we went to attend a function
at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan and realized that in spite of living there we had not been to Manhattan for more than a year!! Here, in Hawaii, we attend all the cultural events that take place, be it a show, or a festival. Everything is 15 minutes away. Also people, even the Americans are more open minded and interested in our culture and we have seen absolutely no racism. In the mainland we don’t exhibit our Indianness as openly as we do here. I remember the famous dotbusters incident in New jersey when we lived there. The Indian community is close knit and there are no cliques. My kids love it here and every thing is compared to Hawaii and falls short.”
Uma Rana, a nurse who came here in 1971 said, “In the 70s life was very simple, you could go to the beach and stay there till 4 a.m. and no one cared. Now they close it by 7 p.m., there are a lot more high-rise buildings and commercialization. My husband passed away more than a decade ago, but instead of going back, I decided to stay here because I feel so safe and people are so supportive. This is truly my home.”
Usha Jain a physician and her husband also a physician moved here from New Orleans 20 years ago and she loved the mix of the eastern and western culture that she saw here. “It was wonderful not to see the discrimination that we felt in the mainland. People were so warm and friendly here whereas every one was so uptight and unfriendly all the time in the mainland. I recently went to Chicago and hated it. People were so unfriendly, no one even wanted to smile at you. Hawaii has its drawbacks of course, the job opportunities are not that many and I regret the fact that my children are not exposed to the Indian culture as much as they would have been in the mainland, and of course this is not the place for people who like fast living-they may feel claustrophobic. The educational opportunities are also limited. That is why my son is studying medicine at northwestern university in Chicago. But I will never move from here to the mainland. If I have to it will be back to India but I have been quite happy here.”
A little known fact about these islands is that the leading magazine to propagate Hinduism in the world, Hinduism Today is published out of Kauai. It is described as “a global public service to the family of Hindu faith, produced by a small monastic community based in Hawaii” by its publishers. This magazine was founded by Satguru Sivaya Subramaniyaswami or gurudeva as he is popularly known. “There was nothing to satisfy the contemporary Hindus, to articulate India’s ancient wisdom in modern language,” said gurudeva. The magazine covers a wide range of topics from ayurveda, to classical dance, to literature and drama, current events, the healing power of yoga and meditation, and vegetarianism. It also strives to clear any misconceptions second generation Hindus or their foreign counterparts may have about Hinduism.
Kauai’s Hindu monastery founded by gurudeva in 1970 is housed on 51 acres of tropical jungle and is an abode for gurudeva and his 25 swamis, yogis and sadhakas. The monastery comprises of the Saiva Siddhanta Church dedicated to preserve and promote the Saivite Hindu religion, the Himalayan Academy – a nonprofit educational institute dedicated to propagate the teachings of Saivite Hinduism, and to publishing gurudeva’s many books on the subject. It is also dedicated to the Hindu Heritage Endowment, a multimillion dollar professionally managed charitable endowment established to strengthen Hinduism worldwide.
Two traditional Saivite temples are erected in these green acres. The Kadavul temple and the new Sanmarga Iraivan temple; the latter is a massive white granite chola style temple currently being carved in Bangalore and expected to arrive and be assembled in Kauai. In spite of the recognition and money, as well as famous spokes people and donors that the monastery has been able to cultivate, it has come in for criticism as being too sectarian, cultist and rigid in the way it deals with the common devotee.
Aside from the Himalayan Academy, there is a little marble Shiva temple also called the “healing stone” in Wahiewa, in Oahu that has become a Mecca for Hawaiians and Indians alike. Today Hawaii stands as a major tourist attraction in the world, in spite of a sagging economy and financial hardships. It beckons people of all races with it’s allure, natural beauty and the spirit of aloha. The native Hawaiians graciously continue to accept all those who have encroached upon their privacy and invaded their lands. But still, you know that once you are touched by the spirit of these islands, life is never quite the same again…