Wailua River Cultural Sites

The next Hawaiian temple on the Wailua River is Mala’e Heiau (also known as Makaukiu or Mana Heiau) - a huge, 400-foot long rectangular heiau west of the highway on the south side of the river.  The entire site encompasses about 2 acres and is one of the oldest and largest heiaus.  This was a luakini heiau where human and animal blood sacrifices were made.  These types of heiaus were established by Pa’ao, who was the chief that led the migration of Tahitian people onto the Hawaiian Islands.  According to legend, it was the Menehune who originally constructed the heiau 1,500 years ago by forming a long line of people and passing rocks to the final location.

Further upstream and on the north side of the river, heading up Kuamo’o Rd (Rt 580) about a quarter–mile from Highway 56m towards the mountains, stands the remains of Holoholoku Heiau.  This is the most restored and also one of the oldest heiaus on Kauai.  It is a fairly small site compared to the other heiaus in the region.  Meaning ‘run, run stand fast’, Holoholoku was also used for human sacrifice but mostly for prisoners of war.  Ironically, the sacred birthing site Pohaku Ho’ohanau (Royal Birthstone) is located right near this temple.  This is the place where the royalty of Kauai would give birth and bury umbilical cords (piko) and afterbirth, as a means to ensure the health of the child.

Proceeding further uphill along Kuamo’o Rd , the next site you will come to is the Poli’ahu Heiau on the left side of the road and an overlook of Opaeka’a Falls and Stream a little further up.  Be sure to stop first at the Heiau as it is well worth a look.  Another luakini heiau, it is believed that it was also originally built by the Menehune, who were the original inhabitants of the Hawaiian Islands that lived peacefully before the Tahitians arrived on the islands. Originally, there were structures within Pilo’ahu that included a lele (altar), a hale pahu (temple drum house) and an ‘anu’u (oracle tower).  Just downhill from Polahu there is a path that leads towards petroglyphs and Bellstones.  A Bellstone is a large rock that is hollow in parts - formed by volcanic activity – that was rung to announce important events such as royal births or to warn of danger.

The fifth sacred site of the ancient ahupu’a is said to be located in the valley near the Hindu Temple, however there is no public access allowed to this site.  The locations of the fifth and sixth heiaus are not publicly disclosed.   The seventh sits atop the ‘crown of Kauai’ on the summit plateau of Wai’ale’ale; an area which is essentially inaccessible.

The sacred heiaus were no longer officially used for religious purposes since the late 1800’s, and in the 1900’s rocks were removed and used in road building, which diminished many of the sites significantly.  In 1962 some of the heiaus on the Wailua River became National Historic Landmarks.  Nowadays, many of these places are cared for meticulously by local Hawaiian people, many of whom still regularly use the heiaus.  The Wailua River cultural sites are a significant and important part of Hawaii’s history, and must be respected accordingly.  Never remove rocks, place items or sit on the rocks in a heiau.  Some heiaus are ‘kapu’ and entry is forbidden, so if in doubt it is best to refrain from walking inside.