Other Essential Spaces

A large, silver stone in the center of a mowed patch of grass along the Meditation Trails.

The Gift Shop

At the end of the hallway, just before the Vestibule, is the book store, gift shop, or reading room (ECKists have referred to it as all three). Here, a seemingly endless supply of Eckankar text, materials, and merchandise is sold. Most of the books sold in the store are written by Harold Klemp or Paul Twitchell, the two most recent ECK Masters. There is also a small display of other assorted literature by ECKists. There are picture books written for children, literature translated into multiple languages, bumper stickers, golden jewelry emblazoned with “HU” or “EK,” CDs and cassettes of ECK music and HU songs, postcards, and posters of ECK artwork. Michael, the tour guide, said that when visitation to the ECK Temple picks up between March and October, purchases at the store increase because ECKists buy lots of materials to bring back to their smaller ECK communities across the country and the world.

The Fellowship Hall

Down the cantilever staircase, at the bottom floor, there is far less sunlight and a cooler, almost cave-like feel to the downstairs area. A small water fountain sits at the bottom of the staircase surrounded by a tangle of bright green artificial ivy. On the walls of the downstairs are various ECK art pieces, ranging from quilts, to woodwork, to oil paint or watercolor. Each painting depicts a Soul Travel or dream experience.

Right off the rotunda is the Fellowship Hall, a massive, ballroom area with a patterned carpet and multiple, circular tables. At the end of the Hall is a piano, which an ECKist, usually a youth, plays following a Sunday Worship Service, when the Fellowship Hall is used for refreshments and gathering. On other occasions, the Hall is used by the Eckankar community for events, ceremonies, and meetings.