Vedanta Society of Northern California

The Old Temple of the Vedanta Society features a pale-green facade and a crown of diverse, non-matching turrets and domes that rise above its Victorian frame. Completed in nineteen oh five, it is the first Hindu temple built in the Western Hemisphere. Architect Joseph Leonard collaborated with the society's leader, Swami Trigunatitananda, to blend Eastern and Western designs. The structure incorporates a crenelated European castle tower sitting beside domes inspired by the Taj Mahal and Bengali temples, all connected by an arcaded balcony featuring Moorish columns.