Built and dedicated in 1956, the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple is located on a 45-acre (18 ha) property situated between the foothills above the City of Santa Barbara, and below the peaks of the Santa Ynez Mountains. The temple has a clear view overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Channel Islands of California. The Vedanta Temple is part of the Vedanta Society of Southern California (VSSC) and is a Western branch of the Ramakrishna Order of India.