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:

Monday – Sunday 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.

Subscribe to Santa Barbara Email List:

Bookstore:

Thursday – Saturday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Sunday 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

October 2025

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
2
3
4
  • Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
5
  • Sunday Talk: In-Breath of the Soul
6
7
8
  • Swami Advaitananda
9
10
11
  • Karma Yoga Day
  • The Bhagavad Gita with Swami Sarvadevananda
12
  • Sunday Talk: Philosophy of Kali Worship
13
14
15
  • Swami Advaitananda
16
17
18
  • Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
19
  • Sunday Talk: Wisdom of the Divine Mother
20
21
22
  • Swami Advaitananda
23
24
25
  • Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
26
  • Sunday Talk: Divine Immersion
27
28
29
  • Swami Advaitananda
30
31

Sunday Talks in Santa Barbara

Facebook Posts

2 weeks ago

Vedanta Society Santa Barbara
We had a beautiful celebration for Mother Durga yesterday and we were so glad to see you all here! ... See MoreSee Less
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We are so thankful to Swami Baneshananda Maharaj of the Vedanta Gesellschaft, Berlin, for visiting us and for giving a wonderful talk yesterday evening. It was a joy to share his company and to see all of you at last night's potluck! ... See MoreSee Less
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5 months ago

Vedanta Society Santa Barbara
This Weekend: “Holy Mother and Us” with Pravrajika Vrajaprana. 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/nBJt849jO78?si=HjsZyiMmpHiouOeX ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
This Weekend: "Cross Over Fear" with Pravrajika Anantaprana. The talk will be in-person, as well as streaming on YouTube. We hope to see here! The YouTube stream is accessible here: www.youtube.com/live/DujrKWzXvhE?si=d1XMndLGZepjY_Bs ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook