Kamakahonu is a restored compound sitting along the tranquil white sand beach of Kamakahonu Bay on the grounds of King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel. The focal point and centerpiece of this historic compound is the 'Ahu'ena Heiau ('High Place of Worship'), a temple rebuilt by Kamehameha and dedicated to the Hawaiian god Lono. It was from this compound, surrounded by family and advisors, that King Kamehameha governed his newly united kingdom from 1812 until his death in 1819. It was also in this Heiau that the king passed away at the age of 70.
Only a year following Kamehameha's death, again in the 'Ahu'ena Heiau, the ancient Hawaiian kapu (taboo) system was swept away when King Lilolilo sat down to dine at the table of his wives, a practice that had been strictly forbidden. This Heiau, then, marked the symbolic end of the traditional Hawaiian belief system. Today, the temple is a National Historical Landmark. Unlike other Heiau you may have visited in Hawaii, 'Ahu'ena has been restored to its original configurations, so that it displays the thatched structure called a hale usually present at a Heiau. Due to the sacred nature of the site, however, visitors are not allowed inside the Heiau proper.
The grounds of the compound, which also include a host of traditional thatched structures and wooden kii gods, are open twenty-four hours a day, so a night stroll to view the Heiau under the moon is a definite possibility. A free tour of the compound is offered by the Kona Beach Hotel and begins at the hotel's registration desk Saturday-Thursday at 1:30 p.m. and Friday at 3 p.m.
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