Bricks Thrown at Ohio Hindu Temple While Devotees Were Inside

Bricks Thrown at Ohio Hindu Temple While Devotees Were Inside

For most families, a temple is the one place where you expect to feel completely safe. On the afternoon of Friday, October 2, that sense of safety was broken for worshippers at a mandir outside Cleveland.

What Happened?

Around 1:30 pm, one or more people threw bricks at the Shree Swaminarayan Vadtal Dham Hindu Mandir in Richmond Heights, Ohio. Windows were shattered while priests and devotees were still inside. The Hindu American Foundation (HAF), which first shared the news, said the building suffered significant damage.

There has been no public report of injuries. No suspect has been named, and no arrests have been announced. Police have not said what the motive was, including whether the temple was targeted because of religion.

HAF said surveillance footage of the attack exists and is being reviewed by the authorities. The group also said it had alerted the FBI and federal civil rights officials, and that it was in touch with the temple's leaders to offer help.

A Painful Moment In A Festive Season The timing made the attack feel even harder for the local community. It happened on Gandhi Jayanti, just as Hindus in Ohio were starting Hindu Heritage Month, which community groups observe across the US every October. Navratri was also only days away.

The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) called on Richmond Heights Mayor Kim Thomas to publicly condemn the attack and asked the city's police to act quickly to find whoever was responsible. HAF went further, urging elected leaders and government agencies across the country to speak out clearly against hateful rhetoric aimed at Indian and Hindu Americans. Its executive director, Suhag Shukla, said the incident showed how hostility online can spill over into an attack on a place of worship.

Not The First Time

Community groups point out that this is part of a pattern. CoHNA's own record of incidents includes the vandalism of a Gandhi statue at Shri Tulsi Mandir in Queens, New York, in August 2022, and graffiti at a Swaminarayan temple in Newark, California, in December 2023. BAPS temples in New York and California were targeted in 2024, and the BAPS temple in Chino Hills, California, was defaced with hateful messages in March 2025.

If Something Happens At Your Temple Call 911 first if anyone is in danger. Then report it to your local police and to the FBI, which handles hate crime reports at tips.fbi.gov. Keep any photos, videos or security footage. Many temples are also reviewing their cameras, lighting and volunteer schedules, especially ahead of busy festival weeks like Navratri and Diwali.

The investigation in Richmond Heights is ongoing.

Sources: ThePrint · Outlook India · DT Next (IANS) · Deccan Chronicle · UNI India · OdishaBytes