The Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) Lake Shrine is welcoming visitors back to its renowned meditation gardens starting from August 27, after a wildfire that devastated the Pacific Palisades seaside area of Los Angeles earlier this year.
Paramahansa Yogananda established the Lake Shrine in 1950 as a means to further world peace and spiritual fellowship. For 75 years, the Lake Shrine Meditation Gardens and Temple have welcomed visitors from around the world, attracting over 100,000 guests in 2024 alone.
Lake Shrine’s outdoor areas, known for their lush pathways and peaceful meditation nooks, are the first to reopen. The Windmill Chapel, Houseboat, and hilltop Temple will open at later dates over the coming months as ongoing remediation work continues across the 10-acre spiritual sanctuary.
The meditation gardens will be open from Wednesday to Sunday. Admission is free. Visitors are asked to make a reservation online.
“We are deeply grateful to be able to welcome back visitors to this sanctuary of peace and tranquility,” says Brother Satyananda, minister-in-charge at the Lake Shrine, in an SRF press release, adding, “As a safe and quiet place full of nature’s beauty, it is our hope that the Lake Shrine can offer comfort and healing during this time of recovery.”
The majority of the Lake Shrine was spared from the extensive damage caused by the fire in the surrounding community. None of the legacy structures dating from founder Paramahansa Yogananda’s time were burned.
Work on the Retreat, the main monks’ ashram, and the Temple is expected to be completed in the first months of 2026, with a full reopening of all Lake Shrine facilities in the spring. In the months since the fire, members of the Lake Shrine Temple congregation have been gathering online for meditations or attending one of the other LA-area SRF temples.
Arriving in the US in 1920 from India, Paramahansa Yogananda founded SRF to disseminate his teachings of Kriya Yoga. His spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi, is recognized as one of the world’s most influential books.
A 75-Year-Old Sanctuary of Peace and Brotherhood
Established in August 1950, Yogananda envisioned the lakeside gardens as an open-air shrine for all faiths. A prominent feature is the Mahatma Gandhi World Peace Memorial, which holds a portion of Gandhi’s ashes. The Lake Shrine also features a “Court of Religions,” with monuments to Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam, symbolizing the underlying unity of all religions. August 20, 2025, marked the 75th anniversary of this spiritual sanctuary. Due to the fire and the focus on reopening, celebrations have been postponed until next year.
Arriving in the US in 1920 from India, Paramahansa Yogananda founded SRF to disseminate his teachings of Kriya Yoga. His spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi, is recognized as one of the world’s most influential books. SRF is an international nonprofit spiritual organization dedicated to fostering greater harmony and goodwill among all people.
To make a reservation to visit the Lake Shrine, go to: lakeshrine.org
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