About foods today & the Golden Temple restaurant.
September 2, 2026 – Wednesday, Mercury’s day- Ray 4 day –
The moon is in Taurus, also Ray 4. A Harmony Day.
Disciples are the Harmonizers.
The Celebrations today, September 2nd.
It’s World Coconut Day & Blueberry Popsicle Day,
Surrender of Japan, WW2 – 1945 day.
Living Fearless Day.

What I am doing today.
Looking for my Golden Temple cookbook (published in 1978).
Sensing autumn soon, the trees have turned golden.

Making Yogi Tea today.
Yogi Tea – This was the original name for what later became known as Chai.
Yogi Tea was introduced to the western world (first in Los Angeles) on the menu at the Golden Temple restaurant –
The Golden Temple of Conscious Foods was created by the 3HO organization – (Healthy Happy Holy Organization)
whose head was Yogi Bhajan, teaching the yogic principles of Kundalini Yoga) in 1969).
Yogi B wanted to help people achieve higher consciousness naturally through yoga and wholesome food instead of illegal substances.

The restaurants (often called “Golden Temple Conscious Cookeries”) served as community hubs where ashram members practiced karma yoga—selfless work—by preparing and serving vegetarian meals to the public.

The 3HO Kundalini group’s food ventures reflected Sikh principles of community, hospitality, and seva (service), mirroring the spirit of the communal kitchens found in Sikh tradition.
Sikhism is a mono-theoistic religions in India.
The daily livingness principles are Truthful living, Service to humanity, Devotion to God.

And so, the vegetarian restaurant chain known as the Golden Temple was founded in 1969 by spiritual teacher Yogi Bhajan.
I took my children there frequently – to the first one established – in Los Angeles, at 3rd & Fairfax, several blocks down from Cantors (Jewish restaurant on Fairfax) & across the street
from the Los Angeles Farmer’s Market.

The restaurant was serene. The food was pure. The atmosphere sacred & holy & filled with the new possibilities of the times – we were leaving the wild tumultuous ’60s, entering the ’70s, & everything the “new” was popping up – classes in Yoga, vegetarian restaurants, pure foods, new ideas concerning the new age, spiritual bookstores (Bodhi Tree 1t 8585 Melrose, Quest Theosophical Bookstore on E. Hollywood Blvd., Sachadananda’s Yoga classes, Kundalini Yoga, Kriya Yoga, Ananda, Self Realization Fellowship Temple on Sunset, the Source Restaurant, Natural Fudge on Fountain on the border of E. Hollywood & Silverlake, etc.)

A new spiritual compass was forming in Los Angeles, becoming a mecca for all the spiritual Teachers from all over the world. It was a time seekers sought spiritual clarity, simplicity, pure foods, consciousness. It was the time of human potential movement & the discovery of Findhorn, the anchoring of the 7th Ray, the Ray of the new rhythms, the new archetypes of Aquarius.

The food at the Golden Temple was organic, clean, pure, peaceful, health conscious & wholesome.
At the Golden Temple, the food was also imbued w/ prayers, mantrams & singing.
When the cooks & kitchen crew prepared the foods, they sang mantras together. Patrons could hear the kitchen people singing while waiting for their food, while eating the food, & then there was a lingering over Yogi Tea afterwards, still with singing.

The main dish that I ordered for myself & the children was
called Bhajan’s Banquet – a mung bean, rice & vegetable (lots) dish with ginger & spices. Served with a very large whole wheat tortilla w/ melted butter. A very nourishing food especially for the children. In our world today we would call it Kitcharee.

Today I need to order the following foods:
mung beans (for sprouting & for kitchari), barley & rice (all in bulk).
About barley – notice it is hard to find in the stores these days.

Barley in the last many years has not been cultivated.
And the barley that is cultivated is going to make alcohol.
Barley is a food that helps to heal the lungs.
I suggest everyone find a source of organic barley and buy it in bulk and begin to use it & also set it aside for later use.

So many things about that revolutionary time need to return to humanity’s consciousness. We can begin with the food.
Remembering…love, Risa