NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Richmond Heights, OH, October 3, 2026: A Hindu temple in the Greater Cleveland area was attacked with bricks Friday, shattering windows while priests and devotees were inside, according to Hindu advocacy organizations that are calling for a swift investigation into the incident.
The attack targeted the Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Temple Vadtaldham in Richmond Heights, Ohio. The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) said bricks were thrown at the temple, breaking windows and causing damage to the building. No injuries have been reported.
“The temple and broader Hindu community are very traumatized to see this hate come to Ohio,” Pushpita Prasad, chief communications officer and board member of CoHNA, said in a statement provided to NRI Pulse.
CoHNA called the incident an act of “anti-Hindu hate” and urged police to investigate quickly. The organization also called on lawmakers to publicly condemn hatred directed at Hindu Americans.
The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) described the incident as a possible hate crime and said surveillance footage of the attack was being reviewed.
“Online hate has morphed into a real-world attack,” HAF Executive Director Suhag Shukla said in a statement. HAF said it was alerting the FBI and federal civil rights authorities and urged law enforcement to identify those responsible.
Authorities had not publicly identified a suspect or announced an arrest as of Saturday.
CoHNA said the timing was particularly painful for the community because the attack came as Hindus in Ohio were beginning to observe Hindu Heritage Month and shortly before Navratri, a major Hindu festival honoring the Divine Feminine.
“Racism and anti-immigrant sentiment is rising and there has been a rash of open hate and bigotry against Hindu individuals, traditions, festivals and sacred spaces, especially in the online world,” Prasad said.
CoHNA also said the Richmond Heights incident was part of a broader pattern, claiming that a dozen Hindu temples across the United States have faced physical attacks since 2022.
HAF similarly placed the Ohio incident in the context of what it described as growing hostility toward Hindu and Indian Americans and called on elected officials to condemn hateful rhetoric.
Video circulated by CoHNA shows damage at the Richmond Heights temple, including shattered glass. The organization said priests and several devotees were inside the building when the attack occurred.
The Richmond Heights incident comes amid heightened concern among Indian American and Hindu organizations about vandalism and other attacks targeting temples in the United States. Several Hindu temples in different states have reported vandalism in recent years, some involving anti-India or anti-Hindu graffiti.
The investigation into the Ohio attack is continuing.
