Kali Mandir Ashram Expansion Project
Latest News and Fundraising Opportunities
GREAT NEWS!
It’s been our dream for a very long time to expand our community and purchase the property across the street from Kali Mandir. Recently our neighbor told us that he is willing to sell his 3.6-acre property to Kali Mandir. This property is very large and will immediately provide ample parking as well as housing for staff as well as for devotees on retreat. An existing round building can be used immediately for the Ramakrishna Seminary Library. These vast grounds provide plenty of opportunities for places of meditation. Seeking Ma's blessings, we shook hands with our neighbor on May 1, 2025 and embarked on a one-year escrow.
That's the great news! On the more challenging side, we have one year to raise $1.5 million. Before this announcement, devotees who have heard the news through the grapevine have already come forward pledging money toward this project.
Present Kali Mandir property shown in red. Future Ashram property in yellow.
It is a very large property - 5 parcels that stretch over 3.6 acres. The land includes the large lot directly across the the road from Kali Mandir and continues to the top of the hill. It overlooks the temple and the beauty of Laguna Canyon. Combined with the present property, this would give Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram more than 4 acres of land in Laguna Beach.
View of adjacent property from Kali Mandir's courtyard.
The property has a round house on the hill with incredible views that could be the home-campus for Kali Mandir's Ramakrishna Seminary, housing our growing research library of nearly 8000 books, as well as serve as a lecture hall and community meeting space for classes in yoga, music, chanting, and bal vihar (children's religious education).
Future Ramakrishna Seminary library
and community meeting space.
The lower lot at street level would immediately solve our parking problem by increasing our dedicated parking spaces from 12 to 40. This lower lot has a full-size mobile home which could serve as guest quarters for visiting devotees on retreat. On the terraced hill there is room for multiple kutirs (cottages) for ashram residents and visitors.
After cleaning up the property, we hope to plant groves of holy plants and trees such as bilva, ashok, hibiscus, tulasi, etc., creating sacred meditation gardens with views of the protected beauty of the Laguna Cove Wilderness Park that surrounds Kali Mandir. A meditation path up the hill could take you to a place where you can only see nature and the ocean in the distance.
Laguna Canyon is special. Ma Dakshineswari Kali was ritually awakened in Laguna Canyon in 1993 by Sri Haradhan Chakrabarti and She has been worshiped here now for 32 years. But Laguna Canyon has been recognized as sacred land and used for ritual for more than 7000 years by the people of the Achachemen, Juaneno, Gabrielino and Tongva tribes. We feel that Ma chose to reside here because this land is holy and we worship Her here respectful of all who were here before us.
View of the lot at the lower portion of the property
Kali Mandir has no debt, has tax-exempt status, and owns the current temple property free and clear. While Kali Mandir is financially secure, we do not yet have enough to purchase the land. We will need to raise $1.5 million by April 2026 in order to secure this property. The opportunity to acquire this land in Laguna Beach adjacent to our present property is too good to pass up now, and too important for the future. This chance will not come again. Moreover, if this land were sold to a developer, it could drastically change the neighborhood and the existing ashram's beautiful natural environment.
Several devotees have already given and pledged donations as the seed for making this dream come true. By Mother's grace, we have already raised $370,601, which means we are nearly a quarter of the way there! By Ma's grace, we hope to raise two-thirds by Ganesh Chaturthi (August 26).
We Seek Your Blessings & Help
Please consider contributing to help us acquire this property and thus secure Kali Mandir's future as we worship the Divine Mother and serve generations of Her devotees. No amount is too small (or too large! :) ). All donations are tax-deductible. You may want to donate in a loved one's name. Perhaps we could plant a tree in memory of a loved one. Perhaps the meditation path could be lined with bricks donated by devotees. There are endless possibilities working together as a community.
Different Ways to Support this Project
Donating using Zelle (no transaction fees):
Zelle does not charge any fees to you or to Kali Mandir for making a transfer. Individual banks may have daily and monthly limits they allow for Zelle transfers. Here's how to donate using Zelle:
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Log into your bank's app or website.
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Select Zelle and find the option to send money.
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Enter our Zelle email: devotees@kalimandir.org
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Specify the amount you'd like to donate.
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Add any notes about your donation (optional).
Donating using Venmo
Please note that Venmo charges the recipient a 1.9% transaction fee for payments received. Venmo also charges a 3% fee for payments made using a credit card.
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Open Venmo on your mobile device or computer.
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Under pay/request search for Kali Mandir using our email: devotees@kalimandir.org
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The Venmo app will guide you through the donation process
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Add any notes about your donation (optional).
Donating using Paypal
Please note that Paypal charges 2.9% as transaction fees.
Click HERE to make a secure donation to Kali Mandir via Paypal.
Donating using Bluepay
Please note that Bluepay charge 2.29% as transaction fees.
Click HERE to make a secure donation to Kali Mandir via Bluepay.
Donate by check
Make check out to Kali Mandir and write "expansion project" on the memo line.
Donating stocks
Donating stock can be a tax-efficient alternative to donating cash. Contact us for details.
Fundraising programs
We plan to organize fundraising concerts and other fundraising programs at a variety of venues during this next year. We will post them on our website.
Share our campaign
Please share this campaign with your friends, family, and on social media. Your advocacy can amplify our impact.
Share your expertise
We will have to pursue multiple fundraising pathways to be able to purchase this property. Your creative ideas, expertise, advice, and time are valuable to us.
Financing
Though our goal is to purchase this land without incurring debt, we are open to private financing should we fail to raise $1.5 million within a year.
Proposed property (on the left), directly across from Kali Mandir (on the right)
Upcoming Fundraiser Events:
June 11th: Soma Kirtan in Long Beach
at the garden sanctuary of Ranmalee Perera
