Here is the Golden Lotus Archway.  Beyond it lies a lake where a blue houseboat floats beneath a Dutch windmill.

Welcome to the Lake Shrine.  To a wonderful, non-judgemental, non-confrontational meditational haven for macro-lens photographers, journal scribblers, sky-gazers and all kinds of pilgrims.

The history of this place is literally fantastic.  Some of the elements:  A silent movie set, an accidental lake, a set-builder from 20th Century Fox and a yogi.  Paramahansa Yogananda acquired it in 1950 and added the archway, the Ghandi Memorial and the temple on the hill.

There is also the Court of Religions, a very Forest Lawn-esque area where (from the Shrine’s literature) “each of the five principal religions of the world is represented by a monument that bears its symbol.”

Looks like a grave to me.  A well-tended, much-honored grave — but a grave nonetheless.

BTW:  H. Everett McElroy was the set-builder and visionary who built the windmill and imported the houseboat from Lake Mead.  His dream house is for sale and it’s pretty cool.

More Temples of L.A.