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Community Corner

A Yogi's Open House

Explore a different part of the Self-Realization Fellowship grounds on Sundays.

The gardens are one of Encinitas’ most beloved spots, a popular place for tourists and locals alike to bask in the beauty of our surroundings. And while visitors can soak in the scenery every day except Monday, there’s one area that can only be accessed for a couple of hours on Sunday afternoons.

From 2 to 4 p.m., don’t take the steps up to the garden, but keep going up the driveway to the vintage house on the right. That’s the Hermitage, the home of Paramahansa Yogananda, and on Sundays you can get a glimpse of how he lived during his time in Encinitas.

In what is perhaps the best gift ever, James J. Lynn bought the grounds for Yogananda while the latter was in India in the mid-1930s and had the Hermitage built as a surprise in time for his return. (Lynn later became Rajarsi Janakananda, the second SRF president.) While it was a place of community for Yogananda to meet with visitors, he also used the Hermitage as a place for reflection and a quiet space to write his “Autobiography of a Yogi”—making the Hermitage a landmark for followers.

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The serenity of the Hermitage has been well-preserved from its earlier years. Rooms are roped off, but visitors are allowed to peek inside from the hallways. The main stairs inside the front door lead to the large drawing room, where Yogananda received guests. A wall of windows looks out toward the ocean, filling the room with the soft glow of the sun. To the right is the dining room; to the left and back, you can see his small study and his bedroom, complete with a pair of shoes peeking out from under the bed.

Once you’ve toured the interior, walk out the back door onto the clifftop lawn by the Hermitage veranda and enjoy the majestic view of the ocean below—and be thankful he decided to share his “gift” with everyone.

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Game On

Encinitas Theatre Consortium’s next playwrights forum takes place Feb. 28 with a reading of Joe Powers’ Game of Theory. It takes place from 6 to 8 p.m.—with free admission and refreshements—in the Community Room at the Encinitas Library. For more information, visit etcinfo.net.

Garden Party

After March 1, you can get advance tickets for the Encinitas Garden Festival & Tour, which takes place at more than 20 private homes throughout the city on April 30. The accompanying  Gardener’s Marketplace offers a place for vendors and garden experts to share information about urban farming, sustainable gardening and other topics.  Advance tickets are $21 for adults and $7 for kids 10 and younger. If tickets are still available the day of the event, prices are $25 and $10, respectively.  You can purchase tickets online at encinitasgardenfestival.org or at the following locations: Anderson La Costa Nursery (400 La Costa Ave., (760) 753-3153); Barrels and Branches (1452 Santa Fe Drive, (760) 753-2852); Cedros Gardens (330 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach, (858)792-8640); The Madd Potter (310 N. Coast Highway 101, (760) 635-1641); and Weidner's Gardens (695 Normandy Road, (760) 436-2194).

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