When a burned apartment lot in Pacific Palisades went up for sale in May, it presented an opportunity for the owners of an adjacent parcel that's long served as a spiritual retreat for Los Angeles residents and visitors.
The Self-Realization Fellowship Church — owner of the Lake Shrine Meditation Gardens at 17080 Sunset Blvd. in the seaside enclave — has expanded its real estate footprint to include the nearly 1-acre parcel at 17250 Sunset Blvd., where a 75-unit apartment building was destroyed in January's Palisades fire.
Serenity gardens are now expected to take its place.
The $22 million purchase allows the yoga-rooted spiritual community to safeguard the sanctity of its nearby shrine and gardens, the group said on its website. Lake Shrine, a former filming location for silent movies, is home to some of the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi, according to the church. It has brought in visitors from around the globe since it opened in 1950.
“Our purchase has fortunately prevented any potential commercial development so close to Lake Shrine; and the acquisition of this new parcel also makes possible the contiguity of the overall property. We are very grateful that all areas are now connected," the church said on its website.
Multifamily developer Xenon Investment Corp. is the seller, according to CoStar data. The purchase was made possible by "the prudent stewardship by past presidents of generous donations from members over many years,” the church said.
Lake Shrine's history
The cleared development site was the first multifamily lot to hit the market in the wake of the January Los Angeles wildfires that devastated the affluent coastal enclave.
The sale, though not likely to lead to any rebuilding, now represents the latest sign of recovery for the region.
The shrine is described by the church as a “spiritual sanctuary where people from all over the world can come and experience true peace in heart, mind, and soul."
Paramahansa Yogananda, who founded the church in 1920, lived and worked at Lake Shrine for 25 years. Yogananda, a friend of Gandhi, is considered to have helped introduce Hindu meditative teachings and yoga to Los Angeles. He died in 1959.
Yogananda's preserved living quarters now serve as a shrine, and the windmill-shaped chapel where he once led services remains open to the public for prayer and meditation.
The church, headquartered in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale, had several hundred thousand members worldwide as of 1992, according to the Encyclopedia of American Religions. The Los Angeles Lake Shrine is one of dozens of temples, meditation centers and retreats around the world owned by the church, whose founder's most popular publication is "The Yoga of Jesus."
Lake Shrine was among thousands of properties that survived with some damage when fire destroyed more than 5,500 structures in the Palisades. The 10-acre property suffered significant smoke damage, including to the chapel. But monks who live in the ashram were able to use water from the property's spring-fed central lake to help authorities prevent massive destruction.
After months of restoration, the Meditation Gardens reopened to visitors in August, with other areas expected to follow in the coming months.