Hindus appalled at desecration of Hindu temple in Louisville

Hindus nationwide are reportedly dismayed at the reports of vandalizing and desecration of Hindu temple in Louisville (Kentucky, USA).

Reports suggest that this vandalism, desecration and apparent hate crime (between Sunday night and Tuesday morning) at Shree Swaminarayan Temple Kentucky resulted in deity image sprayed with black paint, broken windows, walls spray-painted with inappropriate messages and graffiti, knife stuck in the chair, emptied cabinets, etc.; causing damage to this house of worship and sending the Hindu community in a state of anguish.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that it was shocking and heartbreaking for the Hindus to observe the hard-working, harmonious and peaceful US Hindu community receiving such signals of hatred and intimidation. US Hindus had made lot of contributions to the nation and society and continued to do so; Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, noted.

Zed urged Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin to visit the vandalized temple and meet the Hindu community in Louisville area to reassure them. This issue should be taken seriously and urgently, and efforts should be made to make sure that such incidents did not happen in the future, Zed indicated.

As an interfaith gesture; Rajan Zed urged Roman Catholic Archbishop of Louisville Joseph E. Kurtz, Episcopal Bishop of Kentucky Terry Allen White and area leaders of other religions to strongly condemn this vandalizing and also visit the vandalized temple to show their solidarity with the dismayed Hindus.

Zed also urged Kentuckians to publicly denounce the vandalism, stand up and speak against this unacceptable act.

Shree Swaminarayan Temple Kentucky is affiliated to Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan, a “worldwide centre for spiritual, cultural and social welfare”, headquartered in Maninagar, Ahmedabad (India). It has temples and congregations in India, Europe, Americas, Africa, Far East.

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about 1.1 billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA.