Encinitas Preservation Association Announces Architectural Tour

The Encinitas Preservation Association will be hosting the Boathouse Plus Architectural Tour on Sunday April 22 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.

The tour features the Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens and Hermitage, a peaceful and majestic retreat founded by Paramahansa Yogananda overlooking the vast Pacific Ocean.

Visitors will first see the famous hermitage that disciple James Lynn built for Yogananda during his absence abroad in 1936.Lynn was later given the honorific title and name Rajarsi Janakanda by Yogananda and appointed as his first spiritual successor.

The hermitage is where Yogananda wrote his renowned book, Autobiography of a Yogi, which was first published in 1946 and has been in continuous print since then. The rooms inside the hermitage remain as they were when he lived there. 2012 is an exciting year for the retreat as it marks the 75th anniversary of the hermitage.

Visitors will only be able to tour the hermitage from 11:00am to 1:00pm and this is a part of the tour that no one should miss. Next visitors will head to the exquisite mediation gardens. The gardens are enveloped with trees, flowers, and plants in addition to Koi fish ponds and a waterfall that all create a surreal, tranquil ambiance.

The Self-Realization Fellowship Mediation Gardens and Hermitage, with its breathtaking views of the ocean, serene gardens, beautiful architecture and unique history, is certainly one of the most fascinating sites along the San Diego County coastline. This is one of the many treasures from historic Encinitas that visitors will see on this tour. The tour also features the Boathouses, the Bumann Ranch, the Derby House, the School House, and La Paloma Theatre. 

Tickets are available for purchase in advance at Downtown Encinitas MainStreet Association and Coast Hwy Traders. On the day of the tour, tickets will be available to purchase at the School House, Boathouses and Coast Hwy Traders. Tickets are $25 and children under 12 can enjoy the tour for free. Please visit www.encinitas101.com or www.encinitaspreservationfoundation.com for more information.