Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple

This is a beautiful temple with so much of positivity bouncing at you. It’s a very lovely scenic drive to the temple. Make a plan to the temple in the morning hours to enjoy the scenic route. Reservation for parking is a must on Saturdays. We went to arati at 6 pm on saturday. It was a time of unified and happy chants. I would remind u to wear layered clothing and socks if u r going in the evening hours cause it’s too cold and was freezing. The gift shop is filled with lots of great things and I would recommend a visit.

For winters, leave early and try reaching the temple before 5 pm as it gets really dark and the route is all curvy. If you have T-​Mobile (like me), you shouldn’t rely on your phone for Navigation at all, buy GPS navigator instead. I use Waze for best routes to temple assuming there is network on device.
Do reservations so that they know you are coming and temple can accommodate you, URL:

Enjoy the presence of nature and Sankat Mochan Hanuman being at temple.
Jai Hanuman!

Second time at Sankat Mochan Hanuman temple, pleasantly welcomes me with so much peace & warmth. Soothing hymns & chants are always playing in the background. Quaint ambience, perfect place to offer prayers, for the location being completely away from the busy city life. Very well maintained facility, I can see lots of importance given to cleanliness, Appreciate it ! Every holy place requires great amount of decorum and the staff or volunteers here take good efforts to prove it right.
There is small cute café, «Anjaneya’s World Café», to the right as you get down the temple steps. Try their House made masala Chai — very flavorful & refreshing. Indian delights like Samosa (savory) & Laddoo (sweet) are also available. Has decent seating area too. And, don’t forget to catch the view of the Monterey Bay Coast to the right of Café.
There is a Redwood Yoga room inside the woods, relax and medidate if you’ve extra time.
Quick Tip: RESERVATION IS A MUST. Book it online, probably a day before will be fine. And so, Parking is assured if you come reserved.
It’s also a scenic drive to the temple. You can get to see beautiful wineries & horse stables in Watsonville road. Last stretch towards the temple will be winding uphill road.
Visiting this temple gives me lots of happiness, able to realize the supreme power. I will surely go back !

Beautiful temple, beautiful surroundings, beautiful location and very nice people. Definitely a great place to visit for both fun and religious trip. The experience is better than visiting any temple in bay area as you are in the center of woods, disconnected from the world and in a super peaceful area. The experience is similar to one you get at ashrams. I love out and I go again and again.

Nice Temple, will get peace of mind when visits.

It’s a very nice temple to visit which gives peace and calmness to mind. Saw beautiful deers on the way up hill. It’s like visiting another muir woods. Was there until the pooja completed at 7PM. While returning home after 7PM, noticed one deer being hit by a car who was driving the car at more than 60MPH on the opposite side. Even though the driver felt sorry for it, it was too late. My kind and sincere request to all the devotees and people who are visiting here is to drive at posted speed and watch out for the deers which will be crossing the streets suddenly. It’s their land (forest) and it’s not their mistake. Let’s drive safe and enjoy this beautiful and peaceful temple.
Driving tips to avoid deer:
Watch for deer between sunset and midnight, and during pre-​dawn hours when they’re most active.
Be especially attentive for deer during the October-​to-​January migration and mating season.
Slow down in posted deer-​crossing areas.
If you see one deer, remember that others are probably nearby.
Use high beams at night in deer territory when there is no oncoming traffic.
If a deer is frozen in your headlights, honk your horn in a loud, sustained blast.
Don’t rely on deer whistles or roadside reflectors; they have not been proven effective.
If you can’t avoid a deer, brake and stay in your lane. Don’t endanger other vehicles.
If you strike a deer, do not touch the animal. It may harm you or further injure itself.
Call police immediately if you hit or are hit by a deer.

Jai Sriram. This is very good and beautiful temple. Felt like we were in India for a moment. The location, environment, beautiful Hanuman Ji mandhir, continous chanting, water fall, gift store and lastly the café. You can’t miss the samosa there :)
Tip: Just follow the directions mentioned in temple website and that is only the safest and quick route. Café does accept all credit cards.

Visiting temple from last 4 years. Beautiful place and site. Neat and clean temple.
Loved sitting there and spending time in hanuman temple. Very serene and quiet for devotion and puja.

Have been their twice, beautiful & scenic drive to the temple at the top on mount madonna.
The temple is very clean, very peaceful and serene atmosphere… Nature at its best.

Oh my gosh, this place is so amazing.
Services seem to be held pretty regularly on all days of the week. The temple is very clean, and the prasad is really nice and plentiful. Those who work in the temple seem to be almost entirely white (including the priests), which, though it doesn’t matter in most contexts, is kind of nice if you aren’t desi and feel like you would be out of place at a temple. All of the staff is very kind and welcoming.
The temple itself is beautiful. While simple, the structures and idols and everything surrounding it are truly lovely to behold. The location is even more fabulous, being essentially on the mountain summit with a view that overlooks far away civilization as if it were part of a different world. There is a lot of space to walk around and feel nature here, and the peace is kept by the visitors.
I just wish it weren’t so far, else I would be here far more frequently.

Hanuman temple in the middle of nowhere. They have an online ticketing system to control crowds which is actually really nice. The place is super quiet and peaceful.
The temple is located within a Yoga commune and the temple itself is run by the commune members.
I appreciated the tranquility and isolation of the place. We saw some deer & peahens that casually strolled through the greater temple area without paying attention to the humans around them.
They usually have a 6pm aarti (joint prayer) that we were too early for. My 4 year old had a blast ringing all the bells in the temple and generally running around.

Had a great spiritual experience visiting this temple. Very calm and peaceful place.

Jai Shri Ram Jai Hanuman! Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple at Mt. Madonna is a real treat for any Hindu, anyone and everyone! I seen people of all parts of the world here. Nestled in the mountain forest and along nature is a humble place of worship. It’s great to see a temple dedicated to Hanuman, probably the greatest bhakt of Lord Ram whom Shri Ram loved dearly. Many Thanks to Guruji who has established the wonderful place and many thanks to everyone who makes this Possible.
Lord Hanuman, the brave monkey god, the never love and devotion for Lord Shri Ram. The ultimate, the smartest, the amazing, the bravest of them all Bajrang Bali (Hanuman) can do anything !!!
The temple has Arati in the Morning time and evening time. Offerings (Prasad) are also served. There always a priest at the temple and if you don’t know what to do just ask anyone working there. I believe There’s no wrong way to pray, if you want to. After all God is ever knowing, Forgiver of all. Along with Hanuman, there are also Ganesh, Shiva, Vishnu alters here. Explore! While walking around the property I also noticed Jesus Christ and Buddha statues along with many different statues. I think this is absolutely awesome representing many cultures and having an open minded to all religion. May it bring peace for all mankind and peacefully coexist together.
This property houses Temple, Yoga studio, Outdoor yoga, cottages for volunteers, school for kids, Anjaneya’s Café and a small fire station. Arrive early for Arati, the place gets packed specially weekends. I was there for Saturday evening Arati. You can choose an instrument to play for those who want to play a musical instrument during Arati and kirtans. Show your musical skills, kids and adults jamming with the volunteers. It’s very cool ! This place was wonderful, felt free spirited and minding opening experience for me! I am glad I got to experience it. I also donated money for betterment of the community and property which is important and needed. Jai Sita Ram Jai Hanuman.

Beautiful and spiritual Hindu temple in the hills around Santa Cruz, adjacent to a forested park. On a good day, you can view the ocean. The temple is dedicated to Hanuman (Hun-​oo-​maan): He is an incarnation of Lord Shiva and the embodiment of devotion. For various reasons, He is generally depicted in a monkey form, but can assume any form. He is most popular among devotees of the avatar Lord Ram and others following a devotional path. There are more temples and road-​side shrines to Hanuman than any other deity in all of North India. For Hindus, Hanuman is one of the finest exemplars of a life of love and service of God.
Located on the grounds of the Mount Madonna Center, the temple is adjacent to an excellent vegetarian café, the Mount Madonna School and Mount Madonna Institute. Retreats and classes are held there to promote yoga, meditation and spirituality. The views from here are incredible.
Note temple timings, particular during festivals and weekends, when crowds exceed parking, and when reservations are needed. Come during festival time for an experience.
This temple has a good number of both Indian and non-​Indian Hindu devotees. The temple was inspired by Baba Hari Dass.

Finally got a chance to visit sankat moch an hanuman temple today.
Felt like I was just in India, with so many people around. If you like nature n bhajans u will like this place… I wish I can return again in early morning.
Followed google maps on my phone, and had no issues… I heard other old gps shows a different route.
Did not get a chance to checkout cafetaria, however highly recommend u to also checkout Buddha monastery which is about 3 miles away.
Jai hanuman ji ki jai, siyavar Rama Chandra ki jai!!!

The temple stands as a hallmark of reverence to one of the mighty gods of hinduism faith, lord hanuman. Let me begin by stating that although one may be from a totally different faith this place for one is certainly a must visit for its environment around. Its one of the best aerial views that I’ve seen next to San Diego. Coming to the temple itself needs to further explanation. ITs like one of the high altitude regions like shimla and darjeeling kind of set up and you’ll need to climb couple of steps to reach the main deity. They have a cute coffee shop setup that sells some hot snacks too. I went here with a couple of friends and we simply walked around the premises until the evening aarti which was scheduled to be at 6:00. The crowd was overwhelming as it was surprising to see that sort of a crowd on a remote kind of place a little past gilroy.
I saw many people living there and what a beautiful site it is to walk by deers and other beautiful natural wildlife out there. Certainly a mesmerizing experience for anyone who loves serene nature.
Tip: If you’d like to visit the temple on saturday make sure you check the website to fill a form to book an appointment.

I loved this place, the beauty around and the peace and calm nature. You should visit too, need to explore further they have loads of other facilities too!
Take care while traveling go by their suggested route.
I must return with more hours in hand.

Four stars only for the directions to the temple. Would have loved to see more signs pointing towards the temple hence do not get lost as roads up the Mt is very scary and the fog is dense. Please put signs with the temples name on it!
For the temple once you make your way to the temple it’s just pure bliss. Very inviting and calm and the priest us very friendly.
Will go there again and again.

The Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple is located within the grounds of the Mount Madonna Center for the Creative Arts and Sciences, a residential private retreat and conference center. Established in 1978 by the students of Baba Hari Dass, Mount Madonna Center is a community designed to nurture the creative arts and the health sciences within a context of personal and spiritual growth. Residents are unified by the common practice of Yoga. Many visitors come to meditate and contemplate in a quiet reflection of the self. They have 6am & 6pm chantings where a ritual of singing, meditating and peaceful contemplation occurs. In the end, they bless you with a red dot between your forhead and feed you some yummy sweet paste thing.
great experience!

Ohhhhhhhhhh Myyyyyyyy Goddddddd!!! I can’t believe my freakin eyes! as I drive up to the temple… firstly I didnt even know they had a hanuman temple in the bay area… that too atop a hill… hell yes! shoot! sorry… shouldn’t utter the h word… but hey hanuman is so strong and amazing, he protects from all evil! and keeps us away from h*** :)
Beautiful location, reminded me of India, where you will bump into at least one temple on any hill top.
The drive once you get off 152 is simply amazing…
beautiful view of Monterey and Santa Clara County…
the café there is pretty good… we ordered chai and samosas… very very tasty…
The day I came here was an overcast, misty, rainy day and the fog had descended in the valley… it was mindblowing imagery…
Can’t wait to visit again in the summer…
Jai Hanuman :)