The Lotus Temple towers at the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, located off Sunset between Palisades Drive and Los Liones Drive, are undergoing a facelift.
Paramahansa Yogananda, founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, which was dedicated in 1950, designed the Golden Lotus Archway as a “wall-less temple.” In India, the lotus flower is a symbol of divine unfoldment—the awakening of the soul to its infinite potential.
Photo: Wendy Price Anderson
The 70-year-old towers were originally built with recycled lumber after World War II, and repairs will include replacing the lumber and reinforcing the structure to meet seismic standards. The heavy stucco that was used in the original structure will be replaced with lighter material, making it 50 percent lighter.
Cracked tiles will be replaced and the lotus tops will be repaired and repainted. The Krishna Bridge will be rebuilt with stone and wrought iron.
A portion of Gandhi’s ashes, encased in a brass and silver coffer, is enshrined in a thousand-year-old stone sarcophagus from China near the Lotus Temple. That area will have new plaques and pathways.
At that dedication after Gandhi’s death, Yogananda said, “Alone among great leaders, Gandhi has offered a practical nonviolent alternative to armed might. The nonviolent voice of Gandhi appeals to man’s highest conscience. Let nations ally themselves no longer with death, but with life; not with destruction, but with construction; not with hate, but with the creative miracles of love.”
The project should be completed by the end of summer. The lake path, meditation areas and gift shop remain open to the public.
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