HighLights
  1. Hindu temple in Richmond Heights, Ohio, attacked with bricks.
  2. Shree Swaminarayan Vadtal Dham Mandir sustained significant damage.
  3. HAF alerted authorities, calling for hate crime investigation.

Hindu Temple Attacked In US: A Hindu temple in Richmond Heights, Ohio, was allegedly attacked on Friday afternoon, with bricks being thrown at the building and causing significant damage. The incident was reported by the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), which said authorities are reviewing surveillance footage.

Temple Targeted In Afternoon

The incident took place at around 1:30 pm at the Shree Swaminarayan Vadtal Dham Hindu Mandir in Richmond Heights, in the Greater Cleveland area. According to the Hindu American Foundation, one or more people threw bricks at the temple, damaging the building. The foundation said surveillance video from the incident is available and is being reviewed by authorities.

“Hindu temple attacked in Ohio today| At 1:30 PM today, the Shree Swaminarayan Vadtal Dham Hindu Mandir in Richmond Heights, Ohio was attacked by perpetrator(s) who threw bricks at the temple causing significant damage. Surveillance video is available and being reviewed by authorities. The @FBI @CivilRights are being alerted. HAF is in touch with temple leaders and offering all assistance,” the HAF wrote on X.

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HAF Calls For Investigation

The Foundations said it is in contact with temple leaders and is offering assistance. It also said the FBI and civil rights authorities are being alerted. "This possible hate crime comes at a time of unprecedented hate & vitriol directed at the Hindu American community, and we ask that law enforcement make apprehending the perpetrator(s) a top priority," the post read.

"We also call on our nation’s elected leaders & government agencies to publicly & unequivocally condemn hateful rhetoric against Indian and Hindu American communities," the HAF added.

Windows Shattered

The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) also reported the incident, saying bricks shattered windows while priests and devotees were inside the temple. The attack comes as the Hindu community in Ohio starts observing Hindu Heritage Month during October.

Previous Incidents

Meanwhile, the CoHNA has documented several previous incidents involving Hindu temples and Hindu religious sites in the US. It includes vandalism of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Shri Tulsi Mandir in Queens, New York, in August 2022, hateful graffiti at the SMVS Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Newark, California, in December 2023 and defecation of BAPS temple in Chino Hills, California in 2025.

ALSO READ: Eiffel Tower Row: Probe Clears BAPS As Inquiry Finds No Request To Exclude Female Staff

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