Crystal Hermitage Gardens — Attraction in Nevada City

We never heard of this company. We found the Babaji Statue we were looking for on their website. From what we've read, this appears to be a christian business. To order the statue from India, the wait is 2 months. We decided to place the order with this organization because our friends are relocating. This would have been a perfect gift. We also sent an email to the company as soon as it was ordered requesting a new unused product and not another customer's return, days before it was shipped. (Email thread on file.) We ordered the 8" Bronze Babaji Statue for $95.00. The shipping $17.00. They ship USPS. On Sat 4/29/23, we opened the shipping box. 1st impression was, Where's the gift box? The statue was wrapped in bubble wrap and peanuts. We immediately thought this must be the display statue or another customer's return. Very disappointed. Removing the plastic, there's a dent on the side and in the front, the finish is chipped. We assume this was dropped and shipped to us after we stated the product must be new. (When ordering online, unscrupulous sellers do that sort of thing. Requesting new means we don't have the time to wait on long lines to return it.) This company sent two photos of their Tulip garden with the statue. (Why not ship a new item as requested?) An email was sent to this business immediately after opening the shipping box. Since then, four email messages were sent. No reply from this company. REQUESTS: 1) The company to email a postage paid shipping label for us to return the damaged statue. We will return the 2 free tulip photos. 2) The company should cover the shipping to send a NEW unused statue with no damage in a new box. The company has not replied. We notified the California Attorney Generals office. This is not integrity or ethical. This business practice violates the FTC online shopping consumer guidelines. Other companies: The Better Business Bureau. This negative experience was totally unexpected and could have been prevented. We leave this review for you to be aware when ordering from Crystal Hermitage. Today's Date: 5/3/23. Addendum: Unfortunately, this company QUICKLY replies to posted negative reviews. We were contacted by email the next day. Short staffing is the new business model and often used today. Photos of the damage was sent. We hope for no one else to...

We recently visited Crystal Hermitage in search of peace, meditation, and beauty. However, our experience on April 23, 2024, left us feeling anything but peaceful. Despite the serene surroundings and kind visitors, we encountered significant disappointment due to the behavior of some of the staff.

After driving approximately three hours to reach this picturesque destination for my birthday getaway, we were excited to explore the gardens while adorned in traditional attire. While some staff members were polite and explained the rules to us, others treated us poorly.

We were greeted warmly by fellow visitors who admired our outfits and asked to take pictures with us. However, this drew the attention of an older staff member who began rushing us through the garden, insisting that we keep moving and refrain from taking photos.

Even when we paused to admire the breathtaking view over the cliff, the staff member insisted that we continue moving, emphasizing that the priority was not to rest and enjoy the scenery but to keep moving forward. When we pointed out inconsistencies in his approach, such as allowing other groups to linger in the same spot, his responses were dismissive.

Despite complying with his requests and quickly vacating the area, we later returned to take photos only to find staff members obstructing the view. Despite our disappointment, we chose to leave rather than endure further mistreatment.

We shared our experience with a gentleman on our way out, only to receive a dismissive response suggesting that the staff member may have been having a bad day. However, this does not excuse the disrespectful treatment we encountered.

Crystal Hermitage, we urge you to train your staff to be kinder and more accommodating to visitors. We came seeking tranquility amidst the beauty of nature, but instead, we left feeling disheartened by...

Coming here is an amazing experience, especially when the now-famous tulips are in bloom each spring. For several weeks, thousands of tulips blaze so brightly in their colorful glory that they practically blind the eye. These gardens, lovingly cultivated on a cliffside, also offer a spectacular view across the Yuba River.

Crystal Hermitage, with its unique geodesic dome, was the home of Swami Kriyananda, founder of the worldwide Ananda spiritual community and direct disciple of the great Indian yoga master Paramhansa Yogananda. His body is interred at the Moksha Mandir (shrine of liberation) nearby on the grounds. It is open on occasion or by appointment.

Definitely worth a stop on the way from the parking area to the gardens is the Crystal Hermitage Chapel. This is a lovely replica of a little church in Assisi, Italy, connected with St. Francis of Assisi. The chapel can be booked for marriages.

Also worth a visit is a small spiritual boutique called the Shrine of the Masters, so called because it houses relics and memorabilia of Yogananda and Sri Yukteswar, along with pictures of Jesus Christ, Babaji, and Lahiri Mahasaya, all honored in Ananda's line of gurus. Visitors will also find prayer beads, woolen shawls, Indian apparel, jewelry, silk altar cloths, devotional statues, wind chimes, and stationery. Hours are Wed-Fri, 1:30 to 3:30 and Sat-Sun...