"Self Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine Temple, Pacific Palisades. The Self-Realization Fellowship Church of All Religions was founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1920 and is based in Los Angeles. As the story goes, the Lake Shrine Temple emerged after development created a basin which naturally filled with spring water and Everett McElroy, a construction supervisor for Fox Studios, purchased the property in 1940 and began to develop it with gardens, a windmill, and house boat. An oil executive bought the property several years later and had a vision instructing him to sell the property to Yogananda, who went on to build out the property as a holy site for the Self-Realization Fellowship, opening it in 1950. The site includes a sarcophagus which holds the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi and a new temple finished in 1996. While there are regular services and meditation hours, it's also a great place to just hang out, enjoy the gardens, and read a book."
