Santa Barbara Temple

Quietly nestled against a scenic mountain range, the Vedanta center in Santa Barbara overlooks the Pacific ocean. A convent of nuns oversees the maintenance of the 45-acre property, manages the bookstore and facilitates public activities at the temple. Activities include daily worship, meditation and vesper services, Sunday spiritual talks, scripture classes, and pujas (special worship services). The Society celebrates Durga Puja every year in the Santa Barbara temple. The activities of the temple will be shared digitally until further notice. Please check our upcoming events page for further information.

Dedicated in 1956, the temple has received several awards for its design, and is a special point of interest for architects from around the world. The bookstore is open on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 11 am–5 pm, and Sunday from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm.

REACHING US:

You can reach the bookstore following these directions:

From the 101: Take the Sheffield or Olivemill exits to reach the temple and the bookstore at the Vedanta Temple. You may want to check the best route before your visit.

Contact Information

Hours:

M – SUN 6:30 am – 7:00 pm.

Sunday Talks are at 11:00 am, readings are at 5:00 pm Wednesday and Saturday. Worship is at 6:30 am and Vespers Service is at 6:00 pm daily.

We are streaming classes and talks on Zoom and YouTube.

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Bookstore:

TH – SAT 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

SUN 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

925 Ladera Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Phone: (805) 969-5697
Email: sbbooks@vedanta.org or gifts@vedanta.org

The Bookstore at the Vedanta Temple is located next to the temple. It is well-stocked with religious classics and hard-to-find books on the major religions of the world. The store also carries incense, religious statues, music, and imported gifts.

Visit the Bookstore website at www.vedantabookstore.com

Calendar of Events

April 2025

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
2
  • Swami Saradananda
3
4
5
6
  • Sunday Talk: The Purpose of Life
7
8
9
  • Swami Saradananda
10
11
12
  • Karma Yoga Day
  • Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
13
  • Sunday Talk: It's Not Really Chaos
14
15
16
  • Swami Saradananda
17
18
19
  • The Bhagavad Gita with Swami Sarvadevananda
20
  • Sunday Talk: The Sacrifices of the Incarnations
21
22
23
  • Swami Saradananda
24
25
26
27
  • Sunday Talk: The Moral Law
28
29
30
  • Swami Saradananda

Talks given in Santa Barbara

Facebook Posts

This Weekend: “The Purpose of Life” with Swami Vedarupananda. The talk will be in-person, as well as streaming, on Zoom and on YouTube. The YouTube stream is accessible here: www.youtube.com/live/zE2mikaEh60?si=rN6ScIVMJU9h-Bi5 ... See MoreSee Less
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2 weeks ago

Vedanta Society Santa Barbara
This Weekend: “On Greatness” with Swami Arupeshananda. The talk will be in-person, as well as streaming, on Zoom and on YouTube. The YouTube stream is accessible here: m.youtube.com/watch?v=cho6zAp-fkY ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

3 weeks ago

Vedanta Society Santa Barbara
This Weekend: “From the Sublime to the Sublime” with Swami Mahayogananda. The talk will be in-person, as well as streaming, on Zoom and on YouTube. The YouTube link is accessible here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkyZOc7y6AQ&pp=0gcJCfcAhR29_xXO ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

4 weeks ago

Vedanta Society Santa Barbara
This Weekend: “Do You Really Believe in Reincarnation?” with Swami Medhananda. The talk will be in-person, as well as streaming, on Zoom and on YouTube. The YouTube link is accessible here: www.youtube.com/live/qVdRoOcbbyw?si=To1xhEqKIC7pzs6O ... See MoreSee Less
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This Weekend: Karma Yoga Day and “Sri Ramakrishna and Us” with Pravrajika Vrajaprana. Join us for Karma Yoga Day on Saturday, doing projects around the Convent, followed by lunch! On Sunday, Pravrajika Vrajaprana gives a talk on “Sri Ramakrishna and Us”. The talk will be in-person as well as streaming, on Zoom and on YouTube. The YouTube stream is accessible here: www.youtube.com/live/pytd3cU49LY?si=_naPbBhF5J_fXO45 ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook