A Hindu temple in the Greater Cleveland area of Ohio was vandalized Friday afternoon after bricks were allegedly thrown at the building, shattering windows while priests and devotees were inside, according to two Hindu American advocacy organizations.
The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) and the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) said the incident took place at the Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Temple Vadtaldham in Richmond Heights, a Cleveland suburb.
CoHNA said the attack happened while priests and some devotees were inside the temple. The organizations did not report any injuries.
The advocacy groups said the attack caused considerable damage to the temple, while surveillance footage from the site is now being reviewed by authorities.
HAF said it was in contact with temple leaders and providing support after the incident. The group also said the FBI and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division were being notified about the attack.
“This possible hate crime comes at a time of unprecedented hate & vitriol directed at the Hindu American community,” HAF said in a post on X, while calling on law enforcement to make identifying and apprehending those responsible a priority.
CoHNA also called on Richmond Heights officials and police to respond to the incident.
“We call upon Mayor Kim Thomas and @RichmondHtsOH to condemn such bigotry and @PoliceRichmond to take swift action against the perpetrator,” the organization said on X.
HAF Executive Director Suhag Shukla also condemned the reported attack and called for authorities to review the surveillance footage and identify the person or people responsible.
The incident comes as Ohio’s Indian American community prepares to observe Hindu Heritage Month and celebrate Navratri, the Hindu festival honoring the divine feminine, later this month.
The reported vandalism adds to a series of incidents involving Hindu religious sites in the United States in recent years. HAF has previously documented vandalism at Hindu temples and religious sites, including a Gandhi statue at Shri Tulsi Mandir in Queens, New York, in 2022 and graffiti at the SMVS Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Newark, California, in 2023.
The organization also reported attacks or vandalism involving BAPS temples in New York and California in 2024, including hateful messages found at the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Chino Hills, California.
Authorities have not publicly established a motive for the Richmond Heights incident. Whether the vandalism will ultimately be investigated as a hate crime will depend on the findings of law enforcement.