Hindu temple in US Ohio attacked with bricks

Washington: A Hindu temple in Ohio’s Greater Cleveland area was attacked with bricks that shattered windows while priests and devotees were inside, the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) said.

COHNA said the attack on the Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Temple Vadtaldham happened Friday afternoon. It did not report whether anyone was injured or specify how many windows were damaged.

The organisation urged Richmond Heights Mayor Kim Thomas and city authorities to condemn the incident and called for swift police action.

“We call upon Mayor Kim Thomas and @RichmondHtsOH to condemn such bigotry and @PoliceRichmond to take swift action against the perpetrator,” it wrote.

The post did not identify a suspect or provide details about arrests. It also did not describe evidence establishing a religious motive.

The organisation said the incident came as Hindus in Ohio began celebrating Hindu Heritage Month. It also referred to upcoming Navratri observances.

Hindu Heritage Month is observed in October by Hindu community organisations in the United States.

CoHNA has warned of rising hate and violence against Hindus in the United States and documented repeated incidents involving temples.

Its published chronology includes the vandalism of a Gandhi statue at Shri Tulsi Mandir in Queens, New York, in August 2022 and graffiti at the SMVS Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Newark, California, in December 2023.

The chronology records individual incidents rather than establishing a nationwide annual rate of increase.

BAPS temples in Melville, New York, and the Sacramento area of California were vandalised in September 2024.

In March 2025, the BAPS temple in Chino Hills, California, was defaced with hateful mesaged.

The incident followed similar vandalism at its New York and Sacramento temples.

IANS