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Hawaii’s Kukaniloko Birthing Stones

Kukaniloko birthing stonesIf you plan on taking in some historical sites while on vacation in Hawaii, you’ll want to add the Kukaniloko birthing stones to your excursions. Listed with both the National and Hawaii Register of Historic Places, the area is one of Hawaii’s most important cultural treasures.

Once the birth place for royalty, Kukaniloko is still considered a sacred site. In Hawaii, mana is a spiritual energy found in people and in places, and the Kukaniloko site was thought to possess an abundance of powerful mana.   It is for this reason that the Ali’i, or higher class nobility / rulers in ancient Hawaiian society wanted their children born here. It is also said that women who gave birth at the site could do so without the pain that accompanies childbirth. If this is true, we think this probably had more to do with wanting to give birth here than the transfer of the mana to the next generation!

Visitors to the area claim that there is a feeling of tranquil serenity and often bring offerings to honor the sacred history of the site. Because of the Kukaniloko’s divine nature, it is considered disrespectful to climb the stones or litter in the area. Visitors are asked to keep the spiritual importance of the site in mind and respect the areas cultural significance.

To get to the area, Take H1 West to H2. Take H2 to exit 8 – Wahiawa and continue through Wahiawa on Kamehameha Highway until you reach Whitmore. Go left on Whitmore to the pineapple fields and the stones located just up from there. To learn more about the Kukaniloko Birthing Stones, click here: http://hawaiistateparks.org/parks/oahu/kukaniloko.cfm