A temple in Richmond Heights, Ohio, was allegedly vandalised on Friday afternoon after one or more people threw bricks at the building, shattering windows and causing significant damage, according to US-based Hindu advocacy organisations.
The incident took place at the Shree Swaminarayan Vadtal Dham Hindu Mandir in the Greater Cleveland area at around 1.30pm local time. Priests and some devotees were reportedly inside the temple when the attack took place. There was no immediate report confirming injuries.
The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) said surveillance footage from the incident was available and was being reviewed by authorities. The organisation said it was in contact with temple leaders and had alerted the FBI and civil rights authorities.
“Surveillance video is available and being reviewed by authorities,” HAF said in a post, adding that the FBI and civil rights authorities were being alerted.
Advocacy groups call for action
The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) also condemned the incident and urged local authorities to act against those responsible.
“We call upon Mayor Kim Thomas and @RichmondHtsOH to condemn such bigotry and @PoliceRichmond to take swift action against the perpetrator,” CoHNA said in a social media post.
The Hindu American Foundation described the incident as a possible hate crime, saying it came at a time of what it characterised as heightened hostility towards the Hindu American community.
“This possible hate crime comes at a time of unprecedented hate & vitriol directed at the Hindu American community,” HAF said, calling on law enforcement to make identifying and apprehending those responsible a priority.
HAF Executive Director Suhag Shukla also condemned the attack, saying, “Online hate has morphed into a real-world attack on a Hindu temple.”
Motive, suspect remain unconfirmed
No suspect has been publicly identified and there was no immediate confirmation of an arrest. Authorities have also not established a religious motive for the attack, meaning the characterisation of the incident as a hate crime remains an allegation under investigation.
The attack comes as Hindu organisations in the US mark Hindu Heritage Month and ahead of Navratri celebrations, which begin in less than 10 days, according to the advocacy groups.
CoHNA has previously documented incidents involving vandalism of Hindu religious sites in the US, including damage to a Mahatma Gandhi statue at Shri Tulsi Mandir in Queens in 2022 and graffiti at a Swaminarayan temple in Newark, California, in 2023. The organisation has also reported vandalism at BAPS temples in New York and California in 2024 and at a temple in Chino Hills, California, in 2025.
