Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple (Mount Madonna Temple,) Watsonville
By Rajchappeta · Updated 7 Sep 2026
Visit Mount Madonna Hanuman Temple Watsonville
🕑 Temple timings
Morning
6 AM to 1 PM
Evening
1 PM to 7 PM
📍 Address and contact
Hanumān Temple--Reservations Required 445 Summit Rd Watsonville, CA 95076
Mount Madonna Center, where the Temple is located, is an intentional community established in 1978 at the Santa Cruz hills, on the north end of Monterey Bay in California. which has about 80 residents who are all volunteers.
It is also home to a retreat and conference center, hosting programs in yoga, spiritual development, and wellness, as well as personal retreats and daily yoga classes.
It is also the site of Mount Madonna School, a fully accredited K-12 private school with some 200 children, and the Mount Madonna Institute, a post-secondary college offering degrees in Yoga, Ayurveda and Community Studies.
About Baba Hari Dass
Baba Hari Dass is a silent monk from the Kumaon region of northern India. He has not spoken since 1952 and communicates by writing on a small whiteboard.
His silence is a yogic discipline, which quiets the mind and develops inner peace.
Sri Babaji has lived in the United States for nearly forty years, coming several days a week to the Mount Madonna Center, founded by his students in 1978.
Through his practice of selfless service or Karma Yoga, he has helped to build and maintain the Center as well as develop the Temple complex.
History of The Temple
In 2001, long-time students of Baba Hari Dass returned from India with a beautiful Hanuman murti. When Babaji saw the statue, he wrote on his board, “It needs a Temple.”
He promptly walked to the Center’s rustic ceremonial site, scratched out a location for the Temple with his foot and the digging began.
The Prana Pratishṭa ceremony, “establishing the breath” within the sacred image, was performed in 2003.
Visiting the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple Watsonville
Reservations are required for day visitors arriving between,
- 11 AM and 7 PM on Saturdays and Major Holidays
- 4 PM and 7 PM on Sundays
For reservation please visit the Temple website.
People arriving without a reservation during these times will not be admitted to Mount Madonna Center.
Saturday is the busiest day of the week at the Temple and parking is limited. If you plan to visit on a Saturday, please make a reservation.
Sundays, the Center is only open between 4 pm and 7 pm. Reservations are required for visiting on Sundays as well.
Reservations are not required when visiting on non-holiday weekdays during our open hours.
Rituals at Mount Madonna Temple
| Ritual Type | Ritual | Timings |
| Daily | Hanuman Puja | 6:30 AM to 9 AM |
| Chalisa Path | ||
| Hanuman Ji Arati | 6:30 AM & 6 PM | |
| Ganesh Ji Arati | ||
| Special | Sindoor Puja | Each Month on or before Full Moon |
| Tuesday | Contact Temple Management | |
| Raksha Bandhan | Mahamrutyunjaya Puja & Yajna | 6 PM to 9 PM |
Other Important Festivals
- Hanuman Jayanthi
- Sri Rama Navami
- Krishna Janmashtami
- Shivaratri
- Guru Purnima and many more festivals are celebrated.