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!

Helpful Tips for First-Time Visitors…read more Admission/parking are completely free; you only pay for the cafe. Here is what we learned, especially if visiting for architecture. Arrival, Check-In, & Dress CodeGroup Check-In: One person acts as leader, checks the party in at the visitor center, and gets a tracking wristband. Staff: Our group wore summer dresses and shorts. The staff was incredibly welcoming, respectful, and comforting. Sarongs: Knees/shoulders must be covered; no tank tops. Free, one-size sarongs are available at a table to the LEFT of check-in (near the Men's restroom). Drop them in the return basket when done.The Footwear TrickShoes must be removed before climbing the entrance stairs. The stone steps get intensely hot under the sun (reaching ~120°F even on 90°F days). My bare feet were in so much pain that my smartwatch HR spiked instantly!The Fix: Bring thick socks before entering. Walk directly on the white marble stripes by the handrails--white marble reflects heat and stays much cooler. Experience: It was eye-watering hot before I realized the temperature difference midway up. I was stepping on my daughter's sarong to save my feet while yelling at her not to trip! Learn from me and use the white tracks from step one. Hidden Architectural TreasuresThe interior marble carvings (Italian shrine stone, Indian floors) are breathtaking. Each tier tells a story: Floor Level: Peacocks, fish, and turtles are at eye level on column bases. Water creatures represent the foundation of the world, anchoring the temple, while peacocks show nature's beauty. High Corners: Look way up where pillars meet ceiling arches for the alligator-like 'Makara' (mythical guardian). Its open mouth reminds visitors to leave behind their sharp worldly egos. Hidden Pedestal: Near Ganesha's feet is a tiny carving of a rat. Representing human restlessness, the still rat symbolizes conquering busy thoughts to find peace. Ceiling Domes: A massive lotus blooms downward from the center (spiritual enlightenment), supported by a tier of carved artisans honoring selfless service. Cafe & Snack ShopKeep these flavor profiles in mind at the vegetarian cafe: Spiced White Yogurt: Skip it entirely. It does not taste like chai; it tasted like spiced ethanol and almost made me sick. Other Drinks: The mango and green yogurt drinks are much better. Savory Food: Cheese pizza is available. The Pea/Potato Empanadas (Kachoris) are tasty but extremely spicy Samosas are mild and taste great with both red and green sauces. Sweets: They don't have Baklava. The staff recommended a nutty chocolate fudge sweet that tasted like dry Cocoa Puffs--decent, but not sweet or chewy. General AdviceTiming: Visit early morning or near sunset to avoid the blistering midday sun on the stairs. Accessibility: If the stairs look too intimidating, ask the staff for directions to the indoor elevator.

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.

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

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.

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

Where else can you find all of these Dieties in only location and under one roof? This is a temple…read morefor the modern devotee and it really allows for you to experience the core representatives of all of Hinduism, Puranas and Vedas in one sitting. This temple celebrates Sankranthi, Dussehra, Diwali, Siva Ratri, you name it. In other scenarios, it also pays attention to holy days such as Pradosham, Guru Poornima, etc. Most of it all, any major celebrations always mean that there is Maha Prasadam. Who doesn't want a cultural plate of tasty goodness?! Whether it is for a hearty prayer, or a touristy, culture-curious drop-in, I would highly suggest a visit here. It will leave you with a newfound sense of interest and further curiosity.

Wonderful people who hosted COVID vaccinations. They were very kind and really cared about…read moreeveryone. They volunteered in the hot sun for hours. Great group of people for sure

Om Sai Ram! Very peaceful and wonderful temple in LA. I am…read moregrateful I was able to find such a beautiful Baba temple. The Kalash Abhishekam pooja was performed very well during Guru Pournima weekend. !!Om Sai Shree Sai Jai Jai Sai!!

I have visited this beautiful place last year before Covid and can't wait to revisit soon. Very…read morelively Pratima of Sai baba I have never been to Shirdi but I felt the energy and positive vibes. Devotees are wonderful

Beautiful Hindu temple with very large gorgeous deities including Shiva, Shiva Linga, Krishna,…read moreGanesh, Suriya,Venketeshwara, Ram, Sita, Hanuman, Venketeshwara, Kapila muni, and Paramahamsa Nithyananda. The temple is founded by HSH Paramahansa Nithyananda, and he personally inaugurated the temple so the energy and space is very very healing and calming. The temple rituals are awesome, I recommend visiting on Saturday morning to watch Venketeshwara being bathed. The temple offers many programs including daily teachings and courses online. Free Yoga is available. Free very tasty food is available. Nithyanandas teachings about enlightenment are the extraordinarily powerful, and life changing.

Beautiful Temple and Deities! Peaceful place…read more Great programs and prasadam! Thank you Swamiji! Very recommended to everyone.

Spent the day at Hsi Lai Temple to slow down, clear my mind, and enjoy a peaceful vegetarian meal…read more Hsi Lai Temple was founded in 1988 by Fo Guang Shan, one of the largest Buddhist organizations in the world. It's also one of the biggest Buddhist temples in the United States and is known for its beautiful traditional Chinese architecture and peaceful surroundings. One thing to keep in mind is that photography isn't allowed in many areas of the temple, so be sure to watch for the posted signs and respect the rules. Before heading out, we stopped by the dining hall for lunch. The vegetarian buffet is just $10 per person and you can go back for more if you'd like. The food is simple, comforting, and filling. Just remember to take only what you can finish and avoid wasting food. It's always a peaceful place to visit, whether you're here to pray, take a walk, or simply enjoy a quiet afternoon. Hsi Lai Temple 3456 Glenmark Dr, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745

My mom wanted to do a good luck prayer for the LUNAR NEW YEAR so I searched on Yelp for the nearest…read moretemple to us and found Hsi Lai Temple!... FIRST OF ALL: WOW!! What a gorgeous and magnificent temple this is!! It has about 2 floors of parking and the temple also has additional floors to go up as well. So be expected to walk up quite a few amounts of stairs!! FIRST FLOOR: We did a prayer with a donation and it came with some apples and other assortments in a red gift bag. The red gift bag required a donation of $20 per bag so me and my mom bought 2. Then, their were some nice ladies there who helped guide is on what to do. We prayed in front of 5 statues and posted the red gift bags in the middle... SECOND FLOOR: This is where we can do another prayer with 1 incense. And this is also where the restrooms were as well so make sure you don't back down to the first floor because the RESTROOMS are on the second floor!!! PARKING: Plenty of parking. There are 2 floors available for parking!! This temple really transported us to another country!! It was also very peaceful and quiet!! SATU HSI LAI TEMPLE!!!

We visited this temple for a wedding ceremony and it was definitely A+. The hindu priest was…read morehumorous and also explained many of the Sanskrit texts to us so we would know what was going on. It was a very memorable experience. I do wish they had turned on the vents a little sooner after lighting the fire. It created a lot of smoke and started to give me a headache.

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.