Kuemanu Heiau

Hawaiian religious practices once included the worship of many gods through individual and family rituals at small shrines and through larger community ceremonies at heiau such as Kuemanu Heiau. In 1819, King Kamehameha II renounced the traditional Hawaiian religion, and the wooden god images, thatched houses, and other perishable structures that once stood on stone heiau foundations were destroyed or allowed to fall into ruin and decay, leaving the foundations as what are called heiau today. Prehistorically, the Kahalu'u area supported a large population, including high ranking chiefs. Many of the once numerous heiau and other archaeological sites left by the ancient Hawaiians have been lost to the rapid growth and development Hawaii has seen during this century. Kuemanu Heiau, said to have been used to pray for good surfing conditions, has been preserved by the County of Hawaii, and it was recently repaired with portions of its walls reconstructed.

Kahaluu-Keauhou, Hawaii · United States