Tucked into the Santa Monica Mountains in Calabasas, just inland from Malibu’s famous coastline, stands a fully realized South Indian Dravidian-style temple that has, on more than one occasion, found its way onto film. In 1997, the temple appeared in a brief scene in “Beverly Hills Ninja,” starring Chris Farley. In 1998, it featured in a song sequence from the Tamil film “Jeans.” This is, in many ways, a fitting set of incidental facts for a temple that exists precisely at the intersection of two cultures: a structure built according to ancient Agama Shastra principles, standing minutes from some of the entertainment industry’s most recognizable filming locations, serving a Southern California Hindu community that has, since 1981, found in these hills a genuine devotional home thousands of miles from where these specific traditions originated.
Malibu Hindu Temple, owned and operated by the Hindu Temple Society of Southern California, is dedicated primarily to Lord Venkateswara — the same deity worshipped at Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh — with a second, separate complex on the same grounds dedicated to Lord Shiva. Construction began in 1981, and the temple has since grown into one of the most significant centers of South Indian Hindu worship anywhere in the United States, drawing devotees from across the greater Los Angeles area and well beyond.
💡 Quick Answer Weekday timings (Mon–Fri): 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM and 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM Weekend timings (Sat–Sun): Continuous, 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM, no midday break Entry: Completely free; no ticket required Online seva booking: Available via the official website, malibuhindutemple.org Two complexes: Upper (Lord Venkateswara) and Lower (Lord Shiva), each with additional sub-shrines Address: 1600 Las Virgenes Canyon Road, Calabasas, California 91302 Parking: Free on-site parking available Last Verified: June 2026
Malibu Hindu Temple Timings 2026
| Day | Timing |
|---|---|
| Monday – Friday | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM and 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM |
| Saturday & Sunday | 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM, continuous |
This timing pattern is consistently and recently confirmed across multiple independent sources, including up-to-date business listings — making Malibu Hindu Temple one of the more reliably documented schedules covered in this guide.
Pro tip: If your visit must fall on a weekday, plan specifically around the 9:00 AM–12:30 PM or 5:00 PM–8:00 PM windows — the temple genuinely closes during the weekday midday gap, unlike the continuous weekend schedule. One visitor account specifically describes arriving around 12:30 PM on a weekday (New Year’s Day, when the temple happened to remain open to the public despite the date) and finding it would normally have already been closed at that hour — a useful reminder that weekday midday arrival carries real risk of finding the doors shut.
Crowd note: Weekend visits, while offering the convenience of continuous hours, draw the heaviest devotee traffic, particularly given the temple’s single-lane access road — one visitor account describes a roughly 30-minute wait simply navigating the approach road during a particularly busy day, with volunteers actively managing crowd flow once inside.
How to Book Sevas Online
Step 1: Visit the official website: malibuhindutemple.org.
Step 2: Navigate to the “Temple Services” section.
Step 3: Browse available sevas — including Abhishekam, Archana, and special festival-specific poojas dedicated to Lord Venkateswara and other deities within the complex.
Step 4: Select your desired seva and follow the booking process for date, payment, and confirmation.
Offline alternative: Details regarding seva availability, booking procedures, and donations are also provided directly at the temple office for devotees who prefer in-person arrangement.
Accommodation: The temple offers limited on-site accommodation, bookable online through the same “Temple Services” section — particularly useful for devotees attending early-morning darshan or multi-day festival events without wanting to commute.
What Is Malibu Hindu Temple — Architecture, Deities, and the Two Complexes
Built in 1981, in Classical South Indian Style
Construction of the temple began in 1981, following design principles rooted in the Agama Shastras — the same architectural and ritual texts governing temple construction across South India. The structure features intricate carvings and a layout specifically intended to reflect classical Dravidian temple architecture, transplanted faithfully onto roughly 5 acres of Southern California hillside.
Two Separate Complexes — Venkateswara Above, Shiva Below
The temple grounds are organized into two distinct complexes: the upper complex, with Lord Venkateswara as the presiding deity, and the lower complex, with Lord Shiva as the presiding deity. Each complex additionally houses shrines for other deities beyond its main presiding form.
A Garbhagriha Surrounded by the Divine Family
Within the upper complex’s main sanctum (Garbhagriha), Venkateswara (Balaji) is enshrined alongside Radha-Krishna, Ram-Lakshman-Sita, and Hanuman (Maruti), with Sri Lakshmi and Bhudevi specifically positioned in the complex’s four corners. A separate temple within the same grounds houses Shiva, Ganesh, Karthikeya, and the Navagrahas. Additional sources note the presence of shrines for Goddess Andal, Goddess Lakshmi, and Garuda Deva elsewhere within the broader complex — together making Malibu Hindu Temple a genuinely comprehensive, multi-deity devotional center rather than a single-shrine site.
Priests Live On-Site
The temple’s priests reside on the grounds, reflecting the institution’s role as a genuine, continuously active center of daily worship rather than a periodically-staffed cultural site.
Spaces for Meditation, Picnicking, and Cultural Programs
Beyond the sanctums themselves, the grounds include dedicated spaces for meditation and picnicking, along with a full performance stage used for special cultural and Hindu religious programs throughout the year — extending the temple’s function into a broader community and cultural hub for Southern California’s Hindu population.
Leadership
The temple’s presidency passed through notable continuity: Nadadur Vardhan, an Indian American tax consultant, served as president until his death in July 2017, with Nadadur S. Kumar serving in this role since 2021.
Food, Prasadam, and Practical Visitor Notes
On-site canteen: The temple offers a small canteen serving ladoo prasad, dosas, coffee, and tea — specifically praised by visitors for the quality of its dosa.
Vegetarian dining nearby: Several Indian vegetarian restaurants are located within a 10–15 mile radius of the temple for visitors wanting a fuller meal beyond the on-site canteen.
Dress code: Modest, traditional attire is recommended; sleeveless tops, tank tops, and shorts are specifically prohibited. Footwear must be removed before entering the sanctum areas.
Parking: Free on-site parking is available for all visitors.
The Trap — What Catches Most Visitors
“Arrived during the weekday midday closure” → Cause: Confusing the continuous weekend schedule with the split weekday schedule → Fix: On weekdays, plan your visit specifically for 9:00 AM–12:30 PM or 5:00 PM–8:00 PM — the temple genuinely closes for the gap between these sessions, unlike the all-day weekend access.
“Drove up the single-lane access road during a peak weekend without expecting delay” → Cause: Underestimating how quickly this narrow road backs up during high-traffic periods → Fix: Build extra time into your visit plan for weekend or festival-day arrivals specifically, given the single-lane approach road’s limited capacity.
“Wore casual Western beach attire, given the temple’s proximity to Malibu’s coastline” → Cause: Underestimating how strictly the dress code is enforced despite the temple’s relaxed Southern California setting → Fix: Avoid sleeveless tops, tank tops, and shorts — modest, traditional dress is expected regardless of the temple’s coastal-adjacent location.
“Assumed only Venkateswara was worshipped here, missing the separate Shiva complex” → Cause: The temple’s common “Malibu Hindu Temple” name doesn’t immediately signal its dual-deity structure → Fix: Plan to visit both the upper complex (Venkateswara) and the lower complex (Shiva), along with their respective additional sub-shrines, for a complete visit.
How to Reach Malibu Hindu Temple
Temple address: 1600 Las Virgenes Canyon Road, Calabasas, California 91302, USA.
By car: Located in the Santa Monica Mountains, accessible via Las Virgenes Canyon Road from the broader Calabasas/Malibu area, approximately 30–40 minutes from central Los Angeles depending on traffic.
Phone: (818) 880-5552.
Nearby: Several Indian vegetarian restaurants within a 10–15 mile radius; Malibu’s coastline itself is a short drive away for visitors combining a temple visit with broader Southern California sightseeing.
Before You Visit Malibu Hindu Temple — Checklist
☑ Weekday timings confirmed — 9:00 AM–12:30 PM and 5:00 PM–8:00 PM, with a genuine midday closure ☑ Weekend continuous hours (9:00 AM–8:00 PM) noted as an alternative if avoiding the split schedule ☑ Online seva booking completed at malibuhindutemple.org if planning a specific ritual ☑ Modest, traditional dress prepared — no sleeveless tops, tank tops, or shorts ☑ Footwear removed before entering sanctum areas ☑ Extra travel time budgeted for the single-lane access road, particularly on weekends ☑ Free on-site parking utilized ☑ Both upper (Venkateswara) and lower (Shiva) complexes included in your visit plan
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Malibu Hindu Temple timings in 2026?
Monday through Friday, the temple is open 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, with a midday closure in between. On Saturdays and Sundays, the temple remains open continuously from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
Is entry free at Malibu Hindu Temple?
Yes, entry is completely free, with no ticket required for general darshan.
Which deities are worshipped at Malibu Hindu Temple?
The upper complex is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara (Balaji), alongside Radha-Krishna, Ram-Lakshman-Sita, Hanuman, and Lakshmi-Bhudevi. The lower, separate complex is dedicated to Lord Shiva, alongside Ganesh, Karthikeya, and the Navagrahas. Additional shrines for Goddess Andal, Goddess Lakshmi, and Garuda Deva are also present within the broader grounds.
When was Malibu Hindu Temple built?
Construction began in 1981. The temple is owned and operated by the Hindu Temple Society of Southern California and follows traditional South Indian (Dravidian) architectural style based on Agama Shastra principles.
How do I book sevas online at Malibu Hindu Temple?
Visit malibuhindutemple.org, navigate to the “Temple Services” section, browse available sevas such as Abhishekam and Archana, and complete the booking process for your chosen date.
Has Malibu Hindu Temple appeared in any films?
Yes. The temple appeared in a brief scene in the 1997 film “Beverly Hills Ninja” starring Chris Farley, and in a 1998 song sequence from the Tamil film “Jeans.”
What is the dress code at Malibu Hindu Temple?
Modest, traditional attire is expected. Sleeveless tops, tank tops, and shorts are prohibited, and footwear must be removed before entering sanctum areas.
Contact and Help
Official website: malibuhindutemple.org Phone: (818) 880-5552 Address: 1600 Las Virgenes Canyon Road, Calabasas, California 91302, USA Managed by: Hindu Temple Society of Southern California
Official Links
| Purpose | Link |
|---|---|
| Seva booking & temple services | malibuhindutemple.org |
| Temple phone | (818) 880-5552 |
One Last Thing
A temple built according to texts composed centuries ago in South India now sits a short drive from some of the most photographed coastline in America, occasionally sharing screen time with a Chris Farley comedy or a Tamil film song sequence — proof that sacred architecture and Hollywood’s relentless need for filming locations can, on rare occasion, share the same five acres of hillside without either one diminishing the other.
What persists underneath the incidental cameos is something considerably more durable: priests living on the grounds, two full complexes of deities receiving daily worship, a community that has been driving up the same single-lane canyon road since 1981 to find, in the Santa Monica Mountains, something that feels recognizably like the temples many of them grew up with on the other side of the world. The dosa at the canteen, by multiple accounts, is genuinely good. The darshan, by every account, is the actual reason anyone makes the drive at all.
Om Namo Venkatesaya. Om Namah Shivaya.