SUMMERTIME : Discoveries : If you’ve exhausted the usual tourist spots, here are some destinations off the beaten path. : Temple in the Canyon
Surfers and motorcycle riders--people who frequently drive through Malibu Canyon--know about the Venkateswara Hindu Temple. They see the snow-white architecture and golden spires rising above roadside trees.
The temple was built during the 1980s by the Southern California Hindu Society, which filled its 4 1/2-acre spot with an ornate conglomeration of symmetrical cupolas, columns and pillars. Every available ledge and niche houses hand-sculpted Hindu deities, swans, lions and lush flora.
Visitors are welcome, as long as they remove their shoes in the parking lot and obey signs that prohibit the breaking of coconuts and burning of camphor in certain areas.
On-duty priests will include anyone in the blessing rituals--during which guests are anointed with powders and oils. Or visitors may feel free to roam around and simply observe the spectacle of design and music. At three covered shrines beside the temple, the singsong prayers sweeten the air above the traffic.
The Venkateswara Hindu Temple, 1600 Las Virgenes Road, is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekends and holidays. The temple is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon and 6 to 8 p.m. Information: (818) 880-5552.
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