Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple

Built and dedicated in 1956, the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple is located on a 45-acre property situated between the foothills above the City of Santa Barbara, and below the peaks of the Santa Ynez Mountains. The temple has a clear view overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Channel Islands of California.The Vedanta Temple is part of the Vedanta Society of Southern California and is a Western branch of the Ramakrishna Order of India.Facilities & ActivitiesFacilities adjacent to the temple include; a bookstore, a shaded sitting area for congregating after services, and a 12th-century Japanese-cast temple bell that is rung three times per day at dawn, noon, and dusk. A path behind the temple leads up a hill to a pavilion where classes are held with the swamis and the nuns.The temple is open daily to the public. A convent of nuns manage the bookstore, oversee maintenance of the grounds, and facilitate the temple's public activities; including daily worship, meditation, and vesper services . There are also regular Sunday lectures and pujas.The temple hours run from 6:30 am to 7:00 pm every day with a daily puja, and arati at 6:00 pm. Sunday lectures are at 11:00 am. The bookstore is open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, and on Sundays from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.