HomeAmericasCommunityIn The Midst Of An Inferno: How The SRF Lake Shrine Endured The LA Wildfires

In The Midst Of An Inferno: How The SRF Lake Shrine Endured The LA Wildfires

In The Midst Of An Inferno: How The SRF Lake Shrine Endured The LA Wildfires

In The Midst Of An Inferno: How The SRF Lake Shrine Endured The LA Wildfires

Photo: The Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, established in 1950 was miraculously saved despite being surrounded by an inferno but it remains closed while cleanup and restoration efforts are underway.

By REENA RATHORE

LOS ANGELES, CA — Amid the devastating fires that tore through Pacific Palisades in the Los Angeles area, remarkable stories of courage, divine intervention, and community support have emerged. One such story is how the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine — a 10-acre sacred site established in 1950 by renowned Indian spiritual guru Paramahansa Yogananda and revered for its tranquility and spiritual significance — remained unscathed from the blaze which scorched the surrounding areas and displaced thousands.

A prominent feature of the Lake Shrine is the Mahatma Gandhi World Peace Memorial — a 1,000-year-old Chinese stone sarcophagus where a portion of Gandhi’s ashes have been enshrined.

Photo: A prominent feature of the Lake Shrine is the Mahatma Gandhi World Peace Memorial, seen here against a burned hill. The Lake Shrine, attracting pilgrims worldwide, remains closed as cleanup and restoration efforts are underway.

Yogananda, author of the acclaimed classic, “Autobiography of a Yogi,” envisioned the property as an open-air shrine to all faiths. The Lake Shrine houses the Court of Religions, with monuments honoring Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism and Islam. Also included on the grounds are a picturesque Windmill Chapel, a Mississippi-style houseboat, and a museum exhibiting life and work of Yogananda.

The fire, driven by ferocious winds with gusts reaching up to 100 miles per hour, began on January 7. As embers rained down and flames crept perilously close and mandatory evacuation orders forced the monks and staff to leave, the Lake Shrine’s survival seemed uncertain. But amidst this turmoil, a miracle unfolded.

“It’s a beautiful confirmation of our greater purpose, which is to bring, like you said, peace and light, strength and hope, and to see us being able to save, particularly our sacred shrines, where Paramahansa Yogananda lived and meditated, and where so many thousands a week come to worship, to see that saved in the face of such an inferno of fire was quite amazing,” Brother Satyananda, minister in charge at the SRF Lake Shrine, told India-West. “You see the height of the flames and the smoke and everything, and you think that nothing can survive it.”

Integral to this outcome were the efforts of the firefighting teams and the heroic actions of the Asad family. Billy Asad, a longtime devotee of the SRF and a licensed fire safety professional, was granted access to the Lake Shrine despite the evacuation order. Joined by his son Nikki and daughter Gabriella, both trained in fire safety, the family worked relentlessly to protect the sacred grounds.

Satyananda described their efforts as “vital.”

“They did the actual firefighting,” he told India-West. “So that was unbelievable courage in the face of a firestorm. And they were very ingenious in the way that they coordinated their actions with each other…”

Photo: A visitor restroom was destroyed but the adjoining museum (seen here on the right side) emerged undamaged.

In addition, a proactive measure taken months earlier by Brother Bodananda, a monk at the Lake Shrine, proved instrumental. Foreseeing potential emergencies, Bodananda had prepared a gas-powered water pump mounted on a barge to utilize water from the lake itself. Before evacuating, he ensured the pump was accessible to firefighters, who used it to combat spot fires.’A visitor restroom was destroyed but the adjoining museum (seen here on the right side) emerged undamaged.

A visitor restroom and a property housing 7 SRF monks were reduced to ash, but Lake Shrine’s spiritually historic legacy sites remained intact in the fire, which engulfed large parts of Pacific Palisades, including dwellings in the neighborhood. The monks escaped unharmed, but some lost all their belongings.

Photo: Billy Asad with Gabriella and Nicky Asad.

“Amidst all of the areas that were affected by these ferocious fires, the Lake Shrine miraculously was divinely protected. I’m still in awe that 20 feet away across the wooden path, is our wonderful heirloom museum that houses so many of the personal artifacts of our guru’s life, untouched, undamaged…,” Brother Chidananda, president and spiritual head of Self-Realization Fellowship/Yogoda Satsanga Society of India, said in a video message.

Chidananda described this as a profound reminder of the unpredictable forces of nature and divine grace but emphasized that “this is not a time for philosophizing or speculating about why we were protected, and why others, including many of the other churches in the area, were not.”

“…It’s too easy just to become proud or smug, or to feel that somehow we are better than others who didn’t fare as well,” he said. “Our guru would have abhorred any sense of superiority complex based on the fact that we were spared while others have suffered. That’s completely opposite to the spirit of his life, his open-hearted universality, his love and concern for the welfare of all…For now our consciousness should just revolve around one thought – What can we do to help?”

Chidananda extended heartfelt sympathy to the thousands affected by the fires, urging continued prayers and support for those in need.

The Fellowship’s teachings, rooted in ancient Indian wisdom, became a lifeline during the disaster. This strength was palpable in the congregation. Many members lost their homes or livelihoods to the fires yet found themselves uplifted rather than defeated. “Their life, in some cases, is in ashes,” he noted. “And yet, they’re saying, ‘I feel a divine encouragement, a divine strength I never imagined I could feel.’ They’re even helping others while they themselves are in desperate need. It’s the immortal teachings of India coming alive in real time.”

The Lake Shrine, attracting pilgrims worldwide, remains closed as cleanup and restoration efforts are underway. “While our buildings and shrines were largely protected, smoke contamination requires extensive cleaning,” Satyananda explained, estimating several weeks before reopening.

In the interim, the Fellowship has launched the Lake Shrine Emergency Response Team, providing aid to both its congregation and the broader community. Collaborating with local clergy, they are addressing immediate needs while planning for long-term recovery. “We are taking inquiries, calls, requests through our website and social media channels…the magnitude of the loss here is something that at least our community has not experienced before,” he said, describing outreach efforts to other congregations and families affected by the fires.

SRF monks and nuns who serve as ministers and counselors are available to help, listen to, and pray with those who may be in distress because of the fires.

The fires now join the pandemic as defining moments in the Self-Realization Fellowship’s history. “This event is unprecedented,”  Satyananda said. “Just like the pandemic, it will become part of our historical narrative.

Monastics pray daily for all those who request prayers for physical, mental, and spiritual healing: https://yogananda.org/request-prayers. For spiritual counseling: (323) 225-2471. SRF is also making monetary donations to organizations working on relief and recovery, readers are welcome to contribute to these efforts. Donations will be collected and directed to California Community Foundation, California Fire Foundation and Community Organized Relief Effort.

Also Read: Celebrities Face Devastating Losses As LA Wildfires Ravage Communities

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