Hindu temple desecrated in US in fourth such incident this year, Indian consulate reacts

A BAPS temple in Greenwood, Indiana, was vandalised with anti-India graffiti allegedly by pro-Khalistani separatists, with the message reading “Hindu-stan Modi Murdabad.”

The Hindu American Foundation said this was the fourth incident of a Hindu temple being desecrated in the US this year, calling it a reminder of how such acts of hate are fuelled by rhetoric that slurs American Hindus as “Hindutva.”

“Vandalising temples with anti-India graffiti is a tactic often used by pro-Khalistan separatist activists—and a stark reminder of how slurring American Hindus as ‘Hindutva’ fuels hate like this,” read a tweet by the foundation.

“It’s time elected officials move beyond empty condemnations and ensure perpetrators are held accountable,” the organisation said.

Reacting to the incident, the Consulate General of India in Chicago tweeted, “Desecration of main signboard of the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Greenwood, Indiana is reprehensible. The Consulate is in touch with the community and has raised the matter with law enforcement authorities for prompt action.”

“Today Consul General addressed a gathering of devotees and local leadership including Hon’ble Mayor of Greenwood, calling for unity & solidarity, and vigilance against miscreants there,” it said.

Last month, the ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple at Spanish Fork, Utah, came under attack in suspected hate crimes over several days, with 20–30 rounds being fired at the temple building and the surrounding property.

According to the official statement of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), “on June 18, temple staff heard a loud noise and observed smoke coming from the temple’s radio station roof, but could not confirm its cause.”

“Days later, a bullet hole was discovered in one of the temple windows, with the bullet travelling into a wall of the main worship space. Additional bullet holes were found in the building’s arches, and about 20 shell casings were recovered from the road just outside the temple’s security fence. Surveillance footage revealed a pickup truck parked in front of the property on the night of the shooting, though no suspect has been identified,” they added.

Notably, a similar incident took place earlier this year on March 9, when the BAPS Hindu temple in Chino Hills, California, was found desecrated just days before a so-called ‘Khalistani referendum’ was scheduled in Los Angeles, according to temple officials.

The advocacy organisation Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) claimed that there have been multiple attacks on Hindu temples in the United States in the last two years in California, Minneapolis, New York, Texas, and Utah.

According to CoHNA, there have been a total of seven attacks on Hindu temples in the US between January 2024 and July 2025.

Along with vandalism, the Hindu temples were damaged with messages like “Hindus go back”.