Jai Ma! Visiting the…read moreKali Mandir in Laguna Beach was such a beautiful and divine experience. I'm so grateful they allowed me to play the Veena as an offering to Ma Kali. It was truly special to perform Mahishasura Mardini Stotram in such a sacred space..it felt like a blessing straight from the heart. The temple has such a peaceful and positive vibe, and everyone there was so welcoming and kind. I felt deeply connected, and it's an experience I'll always cherish. If you're looking for a place to feel calm, connected, and close to the Divine, this is the place. Jai Ma!

Gratitude for this place and the people who are managing. Must visit for spiritual seekers. Jai…read moremaaa !!!

First time visiting this gorgeous Vedanta monastery . Beautiful grounds; meditation room that just…read morefeels so good to get quiet in; library and meeting room where Gerald Heard, Aldous Huxley, Huston Smiths , and other modern seekers sat and talked and thought and tripped and wrote. Lovely little gift shop where you can get their honey from hives on campus; I bought myself a little Tibetan Tingsha bells (they look like tiny thick cymbals connected with a leather thong). I will return to hike the shrine trail for walking meditation

Listen up! Do you want to know where to buy the most delicious honey ?…read more The Ramakrishna Monastery has their own bee hives, clover, and wildflower honey! It is the most delicious honey that I've ever found! I get the wildflower with the honeycomb inside, and by extra bottles to give as gifts. They sell the honey in their store, and the proceeds help support the monastery. Today, while purchasing honey, we had a Swami teach us about "Chaitanya". We learned that Sanskrit means "consciousness," "awareness," or "life force." It can also mean "energy," "enthusiasm," or "intelligence". It was a beautiful ride down living Oak Canyon road. There is a beautiful hiking trail in this area as well. Feeling very fortunate that we have so much stuff to do, and learn about here in Orange County!

Disappointing Welcoming Experience…read more While the temple itself is a peaceful and sacred place, the experience at the front reception unfortunately takes away from that serenity. The lady working at the reception desk consistently appears frustrated and unwelcoming whenever visitors enter. A temple is a place of peace where everyone should feel welcome. However, her attitude makes it feel less like a public place of worship and more like you are walking into her private home uninvited. A little warmth and a welcoming demeanor from the front desk would go a long way in preserving the respectful and positive atmosphere this temple deserves.

I've always had a love-doubt kind of relationship with God, but Lord Shiva has always felt…read moremysterious and fascinating to me--the way He's depicted is captivating. We've ended up visiting Siva Kameswari Temple in Costa Mesa a couple of times, and each visit brings a sense of peace. Parking is free, which is convenient, and sometimes you even get to hear live traditional music being played inside, adding to the spiritual vibe. Another unique touch is its location--right next to Santa Ana airport--so you can watch planes land up close. If you have kids, they might especially enjoy that part.

Good temple Well maintained…read more Super convenient location - Brea downtown. Serene atmosphere, very peaceful and quiet

First time and love it. Love their foods inside the cafeteria. They also have a nice grocery store…read moretoo.

Temple Review: Unfair Treatment and Favoritism by Volunteer (Komal/Reeta)…read moreI am writing this review today because my friends and I finally found out the name of the woman responsible for pushing us away from this temple: Komal (also known as Reeta). For a long time, many of my South Indian friends and I faced continuous issues with her, but because we didn't know her name, we couldn't properly address it in a review until now. Unfortunately, this was not a one-time misunderstanding. This happened to us an uncountable number of times. Here are the main reasons why we, along with many other South Indian families, have completely stopped attending this temple: Targeted and Rude Comments: Komal/Reeta is usually the main person distributing the prasad. She consistently targets South Indian devotees with unwelcoming comments, telling us things like, "You need to volunteer and not just come here for the prasad. These insulting remarks are selectively directed at us while others are welcomed warmly. Favoritism During Kanjak Puja: During Kanjak Puja, she deliberately hoards and distributes the gift bags to her own relatives and circle, completely ignoring the children's ages. However, the moment our kids line up, she suddenly claims that the bags are "finished." It is heartbreaking to see children discriminated against in a place of worship. Gatekeeping the Temple: Multiple devotees have noted that she treats the temple like a private club, making it clear she only wants her specific circle to be there. Enabling a Hostile Environment: Her friends and family members have now started mimicking her toxic behavior. Because her inner circle behaves the exact same way, the temple environment has become incredibly toxic and unwelcoming.

Went to a satyr Narayan puja today when pandit came from this temple to perform at 7am. This pujari…read morewas good and did a good job but we wish he had mingled with the people after the puja so people felt left out. This is just a constructive feedback. Thank you.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills is truly an architectural gem. Built from thousands of…read moreindividual pieces of imported Italian marble and Indian pink sandstone, each intricately hand-carved by more than a thousand artisans, the level of craftsmanship is remarkable. From the pillars and domes to the smallest decorative details, there is something beautiful to notice everywhere. The spacious grounds and lotus-shaped reflection pond add to the peaceful and uplifting atmosphere. More importantly, this is an active place of worship that offers a quiet space for prayer and reflection. Visitors should remove their shoes where required and respectfully follow the guidelines regarding silence and photography. The entire complex is exceptionally clean and well maintained. The staff and volunteers are courteous, welcoming and always available to answer questions about the Mandir, Hindu traditions or visitor etiquette. Shayona is also worth visiting before leaving. It offers vegetarian meals along with a huge collection of Indian sweets, dry snacks, namkeen and other packaged foods. The food is great quality, and the service is consistently friendly and efficient. A beautiful place to experience faith, Indian culture, extraordinary craftsmanship and community in Southern California.

Came here for the America 250 Years Celebration…read more Plenty of parking next to the temple. Had a great time here. The light show was fantastic! The music that accompanied the show was awesome. Very upbeat. It matched the light show perfectly! Had a blast watching the lights and music blended well together. It was a very fun experience. Glad we were able to be here and enjoyed the America 250 Years Celebration. Check out some of the videos I have posted. Make sure you have the sound on. Enjoy!

We used All World Gayatri Pariwar priest for our son's wedding recently. The priest was actually…read morePriestess Mrs. Rishma Bhatt. She did the great job performing the Hindu ceremony. Her explanation of all the Hindu Vedic Ceremony rituals in English was wonderful and easy to understand. All our non Indian guests were amazed by her explanation in English. She kept all our wedding guests engaged and captivated throughout the entire ceremony. The entire ceremony in Hindi with the Sanskrit Slokas and then translated in English was perfect, clear, straightforward and comprehensible. She did not waste any time and she was completely thorough and quick. We would highly recommend her for any Hindu rituals and ceremonies.

The trustee told us that we need to Darshan from outside because we are in wheelchairread more

A spiritually peaceful place, just a few miles from Chino State park, tucked away in Carbon Canyon…read morearea. Maharaj Amitji patiently helped us navigate a shraddha pooja for my mother in law. It was simple and yet it gave us the peace of mind we needed. Living so far away from home is difficult, especially when we loose our loved ones. To be able to visit, and pray at, a temple that brings peace and tranquility is precious.

I enjoy this place very much, the monks are very kind and generous. Been going there off and on…read morethe past 5 years and it's always great. Authentic Hindu temple, brahmacharya is a great cook and musician and swamiji is fully self realized and great to be around. Please visit you will enjoy

An old friend brought me here 2010, I was a bit skeptical about it because it was very unusual from…read moremy daily.. I eventually left before the speaker and the free vegetarian dinner but my friend brought me some of the foods they served and it wasn't bad. Soo.. I ended up going back, the second time i was there i arived after the Mantra meditation (chanting/singing) and the senior Swami they had visiting really sparked an interest and his words resonated with my spiritual journey. The vegetarian dinner was on point that night to add the cherry on top. I've been inviting new friends and old to this great place and they also continue to go. (FREE VEGETARIAN DINNER Thursday night, cant go wrong) Also a GREAT INDIA STYLE GIFT SHOP !! I've been visiting the temple and next door Krishna Lounge every Thursday night as much is i can. It's A Great Break From Society and if you ever have any questions just ask around and somebody will be glad to help you if they're not busy.

We visited ISKCON San Diego a few years back. It's a huge temple with lots of idols. Finding a…read moreparking close by can be somewhat challenging. One can sit and meditate in the peaceful environment as long as one likes - during the off peak hours. We visited two times during the trip one when it was super busy and another time it was just us and another two people. One of the visits we got talking to a few staff members and had really enjoyed the conversation. If visiting San Diego, try visiting the temple, you may love the beautiful idols of different deities.