Hindu Temple in Ohio Allegedly Attacked with Bricks, HAF and CoHNA Urge Investigation

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) said that the incident was being reviewed by authorities. (Photo: X)

A Hindu temple in Ohio was allegedly attacked with bricks on Friday afternoon, causing significant damage to the building, according to American non-profit organisation, The Hindu American Foundation. The Shree Swaminarayan Vadtal Dham Hindu Mandir in Richmond Heights, in the Greater Cleveland area, was targeted at around 1:30pm, with bricks allegedly thrown at the temple and windows shattered. Priests and devotees were inside the temple at the time, according to the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA). The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) shared a post on X stating that the surveillance footage of the incident was available and was 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," HAF said. "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 post read. HAF said the incident could be a hate crime and urged authorities to prioritise identifying those responsible. "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 organisation said. "We also call on our nation’s elected leaders & government agencies to publicly & unequivocally condemn hateful rhetoric against Indian and Hindu American communities." CoHNA said the attack took place while priests and devotees were inside the temple. The organisation did not disclose whether anyone was injured or provide an exact count of the damaged windows. The group urged Richmond Heights Mayor Kim Thomas and local 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," CoHNA said in a social media post. No suspect has been publicly identified, and there was no immediate confirmation of any arrests. Authorities have also not established a religious motive for the attack, ANI reported. The incident came as Hindu communities in Ohio began observing Hindu Heritage Month, which is marked by various organisations across the US during October. It also comes ahead of Navratri celebrations. CoHNA has previously documented several incidents of vandalism targeting Hindu temples and religious sites in the US. Its timeline includes the vandalism of a Mahatma Gandhi statue at Shri Tulsi Mandir in Queens, New York, in August 2022, and hateful graffiti at the SMVS Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Newark, California, in December 2023. BAPS temples in Melville, New York, and the Sacramento area of California were also vandalised in September 2024. In March 2025, a BAPS temple in Chino Hills, California, was defaced with messages targeting the Hindu community.