Self-Realization Fellowship Blog

As we approach the completion of one full year since the Palisades Fire devastated much of the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, where Paramahansa Yogananda’s beloved SRF Lake Shrine is located, we want to bring you the latest updates on the reopening of this spiritual sanctuary. We also have news of a special event being planned for the Lake Shrine congregation and larger Palisades community to mark this anniversary with a sense of hope and strength for the future.

As we have reported in earlier posts, the great majority of the Lake Shrine buildings — and all of the legacy structures around the lake — survived the immediate impact of the wildfire. Nevertheless, significant remediation work on most of the buildings has been ongoing since that time, so that we can gradually and safely reopen the entirety of the 10-acre property. We were grateful to be able to make the SRF Lake Shrine Meditation Gardens again available to visitors this past August and are delighted that the Windmill Chapel is now again open for use (see more below).
 

A Day of Remembrance and Renewal at the Lake

Our hearts remain with all residents of Los Angeles who were severely impacted by the various wildfires in January of 2025, as they continue to work to rebuild their homes and livelihoods.

On January 7, 2026, the Lake Shrine will be hosting “A Day of Remembrance and Renewal” on the anniversary of the fires. All are welcome, and our Lake Shrine neighbors and congregation are warmly invited to come and enjoy the sanctuary of peace that is the Lake Shrine — to meet and greet one another, share memories, reflect, and stand together as a community in the process of recovery, rebuilding, and renewal.

Reflecting on those coming to the Meditation Gardens since their reopening, Brother Satyananda, minister-in-charge at Lake Shrine, said: “We see people quietly absorbing the energy when they visit. We’re seeing a lot of people experimenting with meditation — they’re trying to feel something and are coming here for a sense of relief — from the world, and from the losses of the fire. We often hear, ‘Thank you. I really needed this.’”

We hope that this special day of remembrance will give a chance for many to experience the same sense of upliftment and hope at Lake Shrine. You can find additional details on the Lake Shrine website about the January 7 event.
 

Windmill Chapel Reopened to Visitors

The Lake Shrine’s Windmill Chapel is again open to the public for meditation for the first time since the fire.

The Windmill Chapel holds a special place in the history of Lake Shrine and in the hearts of SRF members and friends who come from around the world to visit and meditate there. This quaint Dutch windmill was on the Lake Shrine property when Paramahansa Yogananda acquired it in 1949, and here he often meditated and communed with the Divine.

We are also very pleased that we will be able to begin offering Sunday services for the Lake Shrine congregation at the Windmill Chapel starting soon (until remediation work on the main temple is completed and it can be reopened). Other areas of the Lake Shrine will continue to open in the coming months, and we will keep updating you on that process as it unfolds.
 

Your Financial Assistance Is Welcome

We deeply appreciate and welcome your support — in all its many forms — of Lake Shrine during this time of rebuilding and remediation. We are grateful to all who have contributed prayers, volunteer service, or material contributions. Your generosity will assist all our efforts to preserve this unique sanctuary for generations to come.

Donations can be made when you visit, or online. (Complete plans for replacing the buildings that were destroyed, including those that housed some of the Lake Shrine monks, are still in process, and we will share more about this when information is available.) Thank you.

Visiting the SRF Lake Shrine Meditation Gardens is free, and all are welcome. To plan your visit, please use the online reservation system on the SRF Lake Shrine website. Please note that for the special “A Day of Remembrance and Renewal” on January 7, 2026, no reservations are required.