TEMPLES AND BELLS - THE HAWAII JOURNEY

The next day morning we quickly had our American breakfast and started our day with a visit to the Hawaii ISKCON Temple which was located in a huge building and surrounded by lush green trees and Lord Krishna pictures 

ISCKON is a non-sectarian community dedicated to spiritual education and promotes unity and peace in the world through chanting of the Maha mantra, these centres distribute sanctified vegetarian food and propagate spiritual knowledge and practices based on the ancient Vedic teachings of Bhakti Yoga, as presented by Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

When we entered the temple we saw that it was designed elegantly and the deities decorated in the typical ISCKON style, breakfast was being prepared in the adjacent hall by Govinda’s buffet which was opened in 1974, it provides pure vegetarian food from 11:00 - 2:30 pm and on Sunday from 7:00 - 8:00 pm, Donation based community meals are served too, there was a small library with books of the founder and a boutique selling dresses, jewelry and cute handbags

We next drove to the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park which is actually a  cemetery located on the eastern side of Oahu at the foot of the Koolau mountains, near Kaneohe town. 

Thousands of Buddhists, Shinto, Protestant and Catholic residents of Hawaii are buried in this memorial park. It was founded by Paul Trousdale in 1963 and is being very well maintained in immaculate condition

As we drove through the valley, the way was awesome and divine, lined by tall green palm trees forming a canopy over us, everywhere we glanced we could see pleasing greenery set in the backdrop of the magnificent Koolau mountains 

What a beautiful and serene place to rest for ever was my morbid thought and as he usually does, my husband read my mind and remarked nonchalantly that we can’t afford it, any way I defiantly thought I am free to at least dream about it, Ha, Ha !

Also on the grounds were large Catholic statues depicting the Passion of Christ, the Virgin Mary, various Catholic saints, crypts and Mausoleums of some of the most influential people in Hawaii.

Most notable of those interred at the mausoleums of the Valley of the Temples is Walter .F. Dillingham, Hawaii entrepreneur and statesman. Another notable historical figure that rests here is Zhang Xueliang, a Chinese general who played an important role in the National Revolutionary Army.

We parked our car and went to the Byodo-In temple which was seen several times in the popular television shows like "House of the Rising Sun,", "The Incident." "Tropical Madness"  "Tigers Fan" "The Singapore File," and many more

As we entered the temple premises we saw a beautiful lake on which the temple with its stone arches was reflected

We first went to the Bell House, called Kanetsuki-do which contained a five-foot high, three ton brass bell, called bon- sho (sacred bell), cast in Osaka, Japan, from a mixture of bronze and tin. It closely resembles the bell hanging in an identical Bell House at the Uji Byodo-In. The original one is said to be more than 900 years old and to have come from India a fact which of course made us feel thrilled and proud, I strongly feel that loyalty for India increases manifold when we go out of the country

We all stood in a queue to ring the bell with a heavy wooden log called shu –moku, the bell is revered for its distinctive shape, it’ s tone sends a message of deep calm and peace to the surroundings and cleanses the mind of evil and temptation. The bell is customarily rung before one enters the temple, which is again very similar to the Hindus ringing the temple bell before praying God in the sanctum, as kids we used to joke that it is like giving attendance to God

Nestled on a hill behind the Temple was the meditation pavilion. The structure was in line with the traditional garden concepts as the noble family’s fishing pavilion who found that it is a great place to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the Temple away from crowds.

The temple is not a functioning Buddhist temple and does not host a resident monastic community nor an active congregation. 

Byodo-In Temple is a smaller-scale replica of the Byodo-in, a World Heritage Site near the ancient city of Kyoto, originally a monastery founded by Fujiwara no Yorimichi in 1052 of the Heian period. It is famous for its Vairocana statue. The statue was lost and replaced in 1053 with a large wooden statue of Amitabha and carved by the Japanese artisan Jocho. 

Byodo - In Temple was commissioned and built largely in concrete (whereas the original was wooden without the use of nails) in 1968 at its present location in the Valley of the Temples to celebrate centennial anniversary of the arrival of Japanese  immigrants into Hawaii to work as labourers in the sugarcane and pineapple plantations along with the  Chinese, Filipino, Korean, native Hawaiians and Portguese

The temple has the Phoenix hall built with the sole purpose of housing the Amida Buddha statue and columbarium. The structure is designed like the mythical bird of ancient legend. The central room is backed by a tail hallway and flanked by twin wing corridors. There are a pair of phoenixes on the rooftop appearing to take flight into the surrounding paradise.

The 18 feet wooden statue of the Lotus Buddha was covered in gold and lacquer. I loved the magnificent Buddha statue which reflected light and appeared to float over the golden lotus leaves.

The hand position (mudra) indicates that the Buddha rests in the highest of the nine paradises, the replica was first designed in miniature by the renowned Japanese sculptor Masuzo Inui, after which the full-size, two-ton piece was carved by Jokei Sagawa. The immense seated figure was then covered with Urushi Japanese lacquer and finished with gold leaf before being enshrined in Phoenix Hall. 52 Smaller delicate sculptures representing enlightenment beings (Bodhisattvas) demonstrate reverence for Amida and the promise of Pure Land filled with music and dance.

The Byodo-In Temple is visited by thousands of worshipers from around the world with people of all faiths participating in its traditions. Apart from worship, the temple grounds are also used for weddings and office meetings.

Surrounding the temple covering a total of 2 acre there were  large reflection ponds, they had hundreds of KOI fish also called carps, these fish can live up to 100 years and symbolize love, power, perseverance and longevity

The ponds were attracting the attention of all the tiny tots who were trying to feed the reluctant fish which were already quite obese, on the banks of the pond we could see black swans apparently a gift from Australia

Our grandson promptly bought some fish feed and scattered it randomly across the pond causing a sudden fish traffic jam

There was a gift shop on northwest of the temple, apparently it was originally a Japanese tea house. Fish and bird food, a variety of unique gifts, such as custom Byodo-In Hawaii souvenirs, Omikuji (Japanese paper fortune), Omamori (Japanese amulets), Goshuin stamp, Buddha statues and various lucky charms were available for sale. There were clean restrooms available behind the gift shop, I found that day’s trip totally peaceful and relaxing

BEACHES AND FIREWORKS -THE HAWAII JOURNEY

From Pearl Harbour we went to the Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park on the Eastern shore of Oahu, this is a hidden gem of a beach and offers an authentic island lifestyle experience. It's a favorite among locals and boasts a stunning coastline.

We parked our car and walked down a steep walkway from the top of the cliffs ,we came across a board saying that it was tsunami prone area

Luckily when we went, the beach was quite isolated except for a few surfers, the views were beautiful, we spent a peaceful time there, however the current is supposed to be very strong here so one has to be careful

We next sped onto the Waikīkī a Honolulu neighbourhood with the eponymous Waikīkī beach on its south shore, this is one of six beaches in the district, along with Queen’s beach, Kuhio beach, Gray's Beach, Fort DeRussy Beach, and Kahanamoku Beach. The sandy beach is astonishingly almost entirely man-made. 

In the Hawaiian language Waikīkī means "spouting fresh water", for springs and streams that fed wetlands that once separated Waikīkī from the interior. 

After the founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Waikīkī was its first capital from 1795 to1796, in the 1800s the area was a retreat for Hawaiian royalty, who enjoyed surfing there on early forms of longboard. 

A few small hotels opened in the 1880s and also the first beach resorts and subsequently it became a popular destination for mainland tourists.

In the early 1900s, Waikīkī was home to many wetlands, which were claimed to harbor disease-carrying mosquitoes. To get rid of the mosquitoes, developers created the Ala Wai canal. 

It was Duke Kahanamoku who is a well-known surfer in Waikīkī whose influence made Waikīkī beach a surfing hotspot as people wanted to learn to surf like him 

Unfortunately Waikīkī developed erosion problems starting in the late 1800s, as hotels and homes were built too close to the natural shoreline, while seawalls and other structures blocked the natural ebb and flow of sand along the beach. 

Following World War II, Waikīkī beach restoration efforts have occurred every few years. Sand was imported to this artificial beach from the 1920s to the 1970s, by boat and barge from Southern California. 1,730 feet of shoreline was replenished at a cost of $2.4 million following chronic erosion of more than a foot a year. 

The beach hosts many events, like surfing competitions, outdoor performances and hula dancing. The shops and hotels enable Waikīkī to generate approximately 42 percent of Hawaii's visitor revenue.

We passed through Waikīkī's main thoroughfare known as Kalakaua avenue, named after King Kalākaua, it houses most of the high-end hotels and we could find a lot of luxury designer brand stores like Apple store, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Burberry, Dior, Tiffany and co, Harry Winston, Saint Laurent, Gucci, and Hermes, Macy’s department store , and popular surf clothing brand stores ,the area was very crowded in the evenings and the traffic moved at a snail pace

The first high-rise hotels on Waikīkī were built in 1955, including the Waikiki Biltmore and Sheraton Princess Kaiulani hotel. Development boomed due to demand, and the area became filled with large resort hotels, such as the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Halekulani, the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, Marriott Waikiki and the Sheraton Waikiki

Waikīkī's other main thoroughfare, Kūhiō Avenue, named after Prince Kuhio is better known for its restaurants, cafes and grocers, along with its clubs, nightlife and prostitution.

When we reached the beach we found that getting a parking lot was indeed a Herculean task as that  day being a Friday there was display of fireworks on the beach and the place was jam packed ,finally we could get one slot luckily though quite far 

We could obtain views of the Diamond Head and the Waikīkī skyline filled with high-rises and resort hotels. Slowly the sun started to sink, as we had gone in mid- September we could luckily see the sunset in the sea which is usually visible from mid-September to late March. 

Half the beach was marked off for surfers. I could see that the ocean water was quite shallow, with numerous rocks on the bottom. The surf is known for its long rolling break, making it ideal for long boarding, tandem surfing and beginners. .  

This weekly fireworks bonanza happening on Duke Kahanamoku Beach has been a long-standing tradition since 1988 and is being hosted by the Hilton hotel 

The show can be seen from various parts of the neighbourhood, but the best vantage point is on Waikiki Beach between the Hilton Hawaiian Village and Outrigger Reef, some people even hire boats to view the fireworks display

We bought some food from the mobile food truck and settled down on the beach, some of the children were playing in the shallow water, few spectators had brought low chairs but most settled on the beach 

At around 7.45 pm the fireworks started and lit the sky and illuminated the tall buildings, it lasted maybe only for 5 minutes only but it was indeed a thrilling experience witnessing the fireworks along with thousands of strangers, our grandson enjoyed it the most, after the show as we had parked our car quite far we trudged back wearily and went back to our hotel for a good night’s sleep

WAR AND PEACE AT PEARL HARBOUR -THE HAWAII JOURNEY

After Dole plantation it was now time to visit the largest harbor of Hawaii in the South of Oahu which is the Pearl Harbor

The Hawaiian name for Pearl Harbor is Puʻuloa (long hill). Later it was named Pearl Harbor as pearl oysters used to be harvested from the waters, 

Pearl Harbor is a U.S. naval base and is infamous for the surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy on December 7, 1941, which brought the United States into World War II.

Waves of Japanese aircraft had sneakily targeted the U.S. Pacific Fleet, resulting in not only sinking but also severe damage of numerous warships and aircraft.

The attack on Pearl Harbor had resulted in over 2,400 American deaths, including civilians, and numerous injuries. It also led to the declaration of war on Japan by the United States. 

Now Pearl Harbor is a National Memorial, with the USS Arizona Memorial marking the site where a battleship sank during the attack, it is a significant historical site and a place of remembrance of all the sacrifices done by the young men and women

We parked our car and deposited our handbags in the locker, as we are not allowed to take any bags other than a transparent bag with its contents clearly visible and it is risky to leave anything in the car, we just took our wallets & cell phones 

As we entered I noticed the Pearl Harbor visitor center where the volunteers were enthusiastically offering help and information, it is a free attraction at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, a unit of the US National Park Service (NPS) and is the gateway to the Battleship Missouri Memorial, Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, USS Arizona Memorial, USS Oklahoma Memorial, and USS Utah Memorial 

These special monuments commemorate the historic events that changed history during World War II.

The Ford Island consists of the USS Missouri, the USS Oklahoma memorial & the Aviation Museum, one has to take a shuttle bus to see all these and then return to the Submarine area and the USS Arizona area

We had already booked for USS Arizona Memorial prior to coming to Hawaii as sometimes we cannot obtain tickets and didn’t want to return disappointed

We have to book for the USS Arizona separately because it is actually a National Park. This is a timed slot ticket, so we have to leave enough time to get over to the USS Arizona boat ride line 15 minutes before our time slot

We waited in a line for the shuttle boat that took us to the USS Arizona Memorial, as we got onto the shuttle boat there was a sudden change of mood of everyone as we were about to visit a US Military cemetery

We got off the boat and went into the USS Arizona Memorial, which marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed on USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and commemorates the events of that day. 

The memorial is visited by more than two million people annually. Accessible only by boat, it straddles the sunken hull of the battleship without touching it.

Historical information about the attack, shuttle boats to and from the memorial, and general visitor services are available at the associated USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center, which opened in 1980 and is operated by the National Park Service. 

Robert Ripley of Ripley Believe it or not fame was instrumental in sowing the seeds of thoughts to start a memorial at that site when he visited Pearl Harbor in 1942. 

The Pacific War Memorial Commission was created in 1949 to build a permanent memorial in Hawaii and the Navy placed the first permanent memorial, a 10-foot tall basalt stone and plaque, over the mid-ship deckhouse on December 7, 1955

Arizona is being maintained in honor and commemoration of the members of the Armed Forces of the United States who gave their lives to their country during the attack on Pearl Harbor

The USS Arizona Memorial was formally dedicated on May 30, 1962 and the battleship's sunken remains were declared a National Historic Landmark on May 5, 1989

Since then, every U.S. President made a pilgrimage to the memorial, presenting a wreath and scattering flowers over Arizona in honor of the Americans who perished there. On December 27, 2016, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe visited the memorial with President Barack Obama and paid respects to fallen service members there. 

Abe is the first Prime Minister of Japan to visit the USS Arizona Memorial, 75 years after the Japanese attack. It was a reciprocal visit to Obama's visit of Hiroshima Peace Memorial on May 27, 2016 as the first visit by a sitting U.S. President.

Every United States Navy, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine vessel entering Pearl Harbor participates in the tradition of "manning the rails." Personnel serving on these ships stand at attention at the ship's guard rails and salute the USS Arizona Memorial in solemn fashion as their ship slowly glides into port.

The national memorial was designed by Honolulu architect Alfred Preis an Austrian by birth. The United States Navy specified that the memorial has to be in the form of a bridge floating above the ship and accommodate 200 people. 

The 184-foot-long structure has two peaks at each end connected by a sag in the center of the structure. Critics initially called the design a "squashed milk carton". Looking at it from the shuttle boat it was difficult for us to imagine that it was floating on top of the huge sunken ship

The national memorial has three main parts: entry, assembly room, and shrine, we entered the central assembly room which had seven large open windows on both walls and ceiling too, to commemorate the date of the attack, it is known as the Tree of Life design which allows natural light to illuminate the names of the fallen sailors and marines whose names were displayed on the large marble wall in the shrine, protected behind velvet ropes

The marble wall is vulnerable to the presence of salt water vapor which causes stains and erosion damage to gradually appear. The original wall was replaced in 1984 and again in 2014

National Park Services shred the old marble into little pieces and dump them far out in the ocean so no one can use them as souvenirs

The memorial also had an opening in the floor overlooking the sunken decks. It is from this opening that visitors can pay their respects by tossing single flowers in honor of the fallen sailors. In the past, Leis (a Polynesian garland of flowers) were tossed in the water, but because string from leis poses a hazard to sea life, they are now are placed on guardrails in front of the names of the fallen.

To the left of the main wall we saw a small plaque which bears the names of thirty or so crew members who survived the 1941 sinking. 

Any surviving crew members of Arizona (or their families on their behalf) could have their ashes interred within the wreck by U.S. Navy divers. 

We could see an oily sheen on the clear water as each day the USS Arizona’s oil tanks continue to release droplets of oil into the Pearl Harbor. This oil is sometimes referred to as "the tears of the Arizona" or "black tears. 

Before Sept 11 2001, tourist boats from Waikiki and private yachts were allowed to enter Pearl Harbor. After Sept 11, only military ships and officers’ sailboats can cruise Pearl Harbor.

While visiting the USS Arizona I recollected my visit to the Peace Memorial Park Hiroshima in Japan where anguish ,pain and sympathy for the victims engulfed everyone of us

Looking at the puzzled faces of my grandson and other kids who were going around not fully realizing the gravity, I truly wished that we humans created so lovingly by God for a noble cause and good of the Earth stop resorting to wars and violence, the agony of the people who survived and faced the aftermaths of the wars is indescribable, how I fervently wish that utmost peace prevails all over the world

We returned to the shuttle boat solemnly, there was a movie which runs every 30 min, so we watched that with heavy hearts

The USS Oklahoma Memorial tells the incredible story of rescue and survival against all odds and acknowledges the sacrifice of 429 men. On the opposite side of Ford Island, the USS Utah Memorial commemorates the only other remaining ship from the attack. Partially visible above the waterline the USS Utah is the final resting place for 58 men.

Pacific Historic Parks operates the popular museum store on the grounds of the Pearl Harbor National Memorial.

There are self-guided audio tours narrated by renowned actress Jamie Lee Curtis who will walk us through 29 stops, including 2 museums, the USS Arizona Memorial and walk of remembrance, total cost being 7.99 dollars

I came across the bronze Lone Sailor statue depicting a sailor standing on a bollard, looking out at the harbor. It's a symbol of the U.S. Navy and its personnel, both past and present, it was dedicated on October 13th, 2017 at the WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument Visitor Center 

A plaque next to the Lone Sailor read: “The Base of This Statue Contains Steel from the USS Arizona.”

We also saw on display at the visitor’s center the USS Arizona’s anchor. The anchor weighs 19,585 lbs. and was one of three anchors carried by the battleship of USS Arizona. Two were used to anchor the ship, depending upon the weather. A third was used as a spare. When the Battleship blew up, one of the Anchors was ejected into the harbor and this is kept as a display at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.

On the deck of the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, the Japanese surrendered  ending World War II. In 1999, Missouri was moved to Pearl Harbor and placed perpendicular to the USS Arizona Memorial. The pairing of the two ships became an evocative symbol of the beginning and end of the United States' participation in the war.

One can explore the "Pearl Harbor Avenger" USS Bowfin submarine, which completed nine war patrols during World War II along with Submarine Museum & Park

We can discover the history of aviation at Pearl Harbor, including the attack on December 7, 1941, and the planes involved at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum