LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, January 29, 2025 (India West): 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. 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 is a museum exhibiting the 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. 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. 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.

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https://indiawest.com/in-the-midst-of-an-inferno-how-the-srf-lake-shrine-endured-the-la-wildfires/

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