Vedanta Hindu Temple & Bookstore

A definite 5 stars plus for the temple and it’s property. It’s so serene and beautiful. I used to live less than a mile away and had no idea it was here but I can definitely tell you I will be making a weekly meditation spot.

Cool place. Even if you are not into Hinduism or vendanta (which I believe is an offshoot of it) it great to walk the grounds here. The temple itself is peaceful and serene, good for mediation or just sitting in silence. The ocean views and garden makes a stroll enjoyable. Check it out

I love that I’m the Duchess of a Hindu Temple. Heads, are you rolling!!!

This place was a sanctuary for me when I lived in Santa Barbara. Only a 10 minute drive from town but a world away in other respects. The temple is an authentic work of architecture and the setting is spectacular. Sometimes I’d be the only one there; other times I was inadvertently there during a service, which were peaceful and unassuming. Ramakrishna, the Buddha, and Jesus are all represented at the altar, which gives you some notion of the Vedanta perspective. If you want to know more, the bookstore carries an excellent selection of spiritual/​philosophical lit.

In the sixteen years I lived in Santa Barbara, I never went to prayer services at the Vedanta Temple. I went there when I wanted to find a place that was quite and serene. It is in a beautiful location in the foothills. I enjoyed browsing the Bookstore for «holy hardware» and, occasionally, for classics of Western Christian spirituality.
The older site of La Casa de Maria retreat center, not far away on El Bosque Road, is another place to find serenity. Like the Vedanta Temple, La Casa has the feeling of a place that has been occupied, for a long time, by people in prayer.

It’s pretty good if you didn’t grow up Hindu. If you are actually Hindu, the experience falls short of a typical temple experience with Sanskrit prayer, prasad, bhajans, and the noise and bustle of families and the Hindu community. It is a Vedanta Temple, a denomination with an emphasis on meditation and spiritual enlightenment; an order on the philosophy of God, rather than the practice of God as a synthesis of culture and religion.
Again, not very similar to a traditional Hindu temple experience, but sounds great if you want a quiet place to think about God! And yes, it is very aesthetically pleasing.

I spent six years of my life in Santa Barbara. It will always be my heart’s home. I became interested in Eastern Religious beliefs at UCSB and subsequently found Vedanta.
The small, serene temple sits on 45 acres of land in the hills of Montecito overlooking the ocean. Run by a a convent of seven nuns, activities include daily worship, meditation and vesper services.
The best time to attend the evening vesper services is during daylight savings time when you can quietly observe the sunset. There’s a rock not far from the steps outside. I used to sit there after the service in in the «otherworldy» silence that envelops the place and reflect.
The following detail on the vespers service comes from their website. I couldn’t do it justice, so I thought I’d add it.
It is a quiet time, a time for reflection and meditation at the close of the day. During the ritual, five items, representing the subtle elements that form the universe, are offered back to the Lord. The ritual symbolizes the multiplicity of the world being dissolved into oneness. It is an act of surrender to God, an act of the soul’s return to its Source.
After a brief meditation, the worshiper begins the arati by lighting wicks in a special holder. These wicks are made of cotton dipped in melted ghee (clarified butter). The lights symbolize the light of Brahman (the Godhead). They also symbolize fire, one of the five elements that comprise the universe.
The worshiper pours consecrated water three times over the handle of the arati holder as salutations are offered to the fire that is Brahman. Pouring the water three times is believed to aid the worshiper’s commitment to the act, thereby enhancing the effect.
The worshiper rings the bell continuously with the left hand, symbolizing the mystic sound OM, which eternally reverberates throughout the universe. With the right hand, the worshiper waves the light clockwise before the pictures of Ramakrishna, Jesus and Buddha, thus offering fire back to the Lord.
The worshiper then kneels down and passes the right hand over the light and then over the head. By doing this, the worshiper is purified by the light of Brahman and takes the darshan (blessings) of the Lord. This act also signifies the desire for illumination, or for realization of the soul’s oneness with God. The worshiper then pours water over the hand as an act of purification before the next, and each subsequent, offering is begun.
The second offering is water, which is contained in a conch shell. Water is another element comprising the universe. The conch is waved in a circular motion before the holy pictures, and is then poured into an offering bowl.
The third offering is a cloth, which symbolizes the element space. Cloth covers the body as space envelops all creation. The fourth offering is a flower, symbolizing the element earth. The last of the offerings is the chamara (a fan made of yak tail), which symbolizes the element air as it is gracefully waved before the holy pictures.
Three songs accompany the vesper service: Khandana Bhaba Bandhana, a Bengali song to Sri Ramakrishna written by Swami Vivekananda; Om Hring Ritang, a Sanskrit hymn to Sri Ramakrishna written by Swami Vivekananda; and Sarva Mangala Mangalye, a Sanskrit hymn to the Divine Mother.
The singing is often acccompanied by a harmonium (an Indian hand-​held organ), a tampura (an Indian string instrument), tabla (Indian drums) and cymbals.
It’s truly calming.

No need to travel all the way to India to find Nirvana. Tranquility can be yours just two hours north of LA (depending on the state of the 101 Parking Lot). Nestled in the foothills a smidge south and east of Santa Barbara, this divine spot is a naturalist’s dream, with its landscape of native vegetation interspersed with stately eucalyptus groves. Built in the style of Southern Indian, this temple, elegant in its simplicity, is cleverly constructed of hand-​hewn timber. Shoes must be left at the door, but not to worry, for the interior is carpeted with plush wall-​to-​wall, the soft color of a virgin’s blush. Silence is golden and de rigeur when inside, but it is easy to hold one’s tongue within this womb of cozy spirituality.
The property is also the site of a convent for Vedanta nuns, whose novitiates run the wonderfully eclectic book and giftshop. Much like their contemporary Catholic counterparts, one would be hard pressed to identify them as clerics, due to the fact that they dress like regular folks.
They are also very friendly, and quite helpful. The shop carries merchandise of all faiths and spiritual practices, as well as some very lovely handmade tschotchkes. They even have a special section for kids. Although, it’s much smaller, it puts the Hipster Buddhist Mecca known as the Bodhi Tree to shame by sheer beauty of surroundings as well as, well, the authentic holiness of the ladies on the staff.
The temple, shop and grounds are free and open to the public. Visitors of any, or no spiritual persuasion, are welcome to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the rustle of the breeze through the eucs, the spontaneous rounds of birdsong, as well as reveling in the spectacular mountain views.
Winter hours, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; spring, 7 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Vespers: winter, 6 p.m.; spring, 6:30 p.m. Sun. lecture, 11 p.m. The bookstore is open Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sun., 10 a.m.-1 p.m.