Waking up to find your place of worship covered in hate speech is a gut-punch. Honestly, for the Hindu American community, it’s a punch that has landed far too many times lately. Over the last couple of years, a wave of BAPS temple vandalism in the US has transformed quiet suburban spiritual hubs into crime scenes.
It isn't just a stray bit of graffiti by a bored teenager. These incidents follow a sharp, jagged pattern. They’ve hit New York, California, and Indiana with a weirdly specific brand of vitriol. If you’ve been following the news, you’ve seen the photos: marble signs spray-painted with black ink, expletives directed at foreign leaders, and the chilling phrase "Hindus go back."
The Timeline of a Troubling Trend
The numbers are getting hard to ignore. Since 2022, there have been at least ten major incidents of Hindu temples being targeted in the United States. But the focus on BAPS—the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha—is particularly striking.
Take March 8, 2025. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills, California, was defaced. Surveillance footage caught two people spray-painting the marble sign and the sidewalk. The damage? Over $15,000. But the dollar amount doesn't capture the "violation of sorts" felt by people like Mehul Patel, a lifelong volunteer who spoke to reporters about the lingering fear of "what happens next."
Before Chino Hills, there was Greenwood, Indiana, in August 2025. Same story. Anti-India and anti-Modi slogans appeared right before the festival of Krishna Janmashtami. Before that, it was Sacramento and Melville, New York, in September 2024. These weren't months apart; they were ten days apart.
Why BAPS?
You might wonder why this specific group gets targeted. BAPS temples are architectural marvels. They’re massive, they’re beautiful, and they’re very visible. The Robbinsville, New Jersey site is actually the largest Hindu temple in the Western Hemisphere. When people want to make a political statement that "counts," they pick the biggest stage.
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The Politics Behind the Paint
This isn't just "standard" racism. It’s a messy, complicated export of geopolitics. Most of the graffiti linked to BAPS temple vandalism in the US involves pro-Khalistan slogans or attacks on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Basically, political grievances from South Asia are being litigated on American soil.
Advocacy groups like the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) have been vocal about this. They argue that by slurring American Hindus as "Hindutva" or "nationalists," vandals feel justified in attacking their sacred spaces. Suhag Shukla, the executive director of HAF, points out a frustrating irony: these are American citizens, many born and raised here, who are being told to "go back" because of events happening thousands of miles away.
A Disconnect in Law Enforcement?
There’s a bit of a rift in how these crimes are handled. Local police often categorize them as "criminal mischief" or "vandalism." But for the community, it feels like a targeted hate crime.
In California, anti-Hindu bias recently ranked as the second-most common religion-related bias reported to the state’s hate crime hotline. Yet, federal investigations can be slow. Some community leaders hope that the recent appointment of officials like Kash Patel to the FBI might shift the needle on how these cases are prioritized.
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The Community’s Response: "Prayers for Peace"
It’s easy to get angry. You’ve probably seen the "unity prayers" held on the Sundays following these attacks. Instead of retaliating, the BAPS community usually gathers to scrub the walls and hold a "Shanti Paath"—a prayer for peace.
Hetal Patel, a volunteer at the Chino Hills temple, summed it up perfectly: "This mandir is home for my family." To see your home defaced is traumatic, but the BAPS philosophy—guided by Mahant Swami Maharaj—emphasizes not being "reactionary." They pray for the vandals to be "freed from their hatred."
It’s a noble stance. But behind the prayers, there is a growing demand for actual security and accountability. "You shouldn't have to be holding press conferences and having other people come and help you scrub down your walls," Shukla noted.
Misconceptions You Should Know
- "It’s just about India." No. While the graffiti mentions Indian politics, the victims are American residents and citizens.
- "It’s isolated." The frequency suggests otherwise. Ten incidents in three years is a trend, not a fluke.
- "It's only in California." While California has the highest population, New York and Indiana have seen significant attacks.
Actionable Steps for Safety and Awareness
If you’re part of a local community or a temple board, waiting for the next incident isn't an option. Here is what is actually being done—and what you can do:
1. Upgrade Surveillance Immediately
Most of these vandals are caught on camera, but low-resolution footage makes identification impossible. High-def, night-vision cameras at entry points are the minimum requirement now.
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2. Engage with Local Precincts
Don't wait for a crime. Invite local police deputies to the temple for cultural awareness tours. When they know the community, they’re more likely to patrol the area during major festivals or times of high political tension.
3. Report Every "Minor" Incident
Often, a small tag on a fence is ignored. Report it anyway. Data is the only way to get federal agencies like the DOJ to recognize a pattern of BAPS temple vandalism in the US.
4. Public Education
Use community open houses to explain that the mandir is a place of worship, not a political consulate. Breaking the "conflation" between religion and foreign government is key to lowering the temperature.
5. Secure Federal Grants
The Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) provides funding for physical security enhancements. Many temples are now using these funds to install bollards, reinforced gates, and better lighting.
The reality is that while the spray paint can be washed off, the sense of security takes a lot longer to rebuild. The Hindu American community is currently in a state of high vigilance, trying to balance their traditional values of peace with the modern necessity of protection.
To stay informed on recent case updates or to report an incident, you can visit the official BAPS Public Affairs site or the Hindu American Foundation tracker. Consistent reporting and community solidarity remain the strongest tools against this cycle of intolerance.