According to footage shared online, expletives have been sprayed on the road and the signage outside the temple. The temple is expected to hold a prayer meeting later in the afternoon following the incident.
Swaminarayan temples are a major draw for devotees and alike. They are known for their grandeur and architecture.
A prominent Hindu temple in Sydney was defaced by "anti-social elements" on Friday with anti-India graffiti on the walls, in the latest incident of vandalism against Hindu temples in Australia ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country later this month.
They performed 'abhishek' of Shri Nilkanth Varni before being escorted to the Haveli foyer to have a view of the building's architecture.
Two young women were found dead in a Surat temple bathroom, with police investigating a possible suicide pact involving anaesthesia and online searches for suicide methods.
According to the temple literature, 1,800 craftsmen were engaged for 18 months, sculpting 24,000 pieces which were later transported to the temple site in suburban Etobicoke, North-West of Toronto, and assembled together.
The Indian Consulate in Chicago took strong note of the act and called it "reprehensible".
The Indian High Commission on Wednesday tweeted," We strongly condemn defacing of BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto with anti-India graffiti. Have requested Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action on perpetrators."
Prince Charles, accompanied by his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, has visited the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir and a school attached to the temple in London to celebrate Holi.
A Hindu temple and two Asian-run restaurants in Melbourne were defaced with racist graffiti, sparking concern within the community.
This was the second incident of desecration at a BAPS temple in less than a month in the US amidst the growing trend of temple vandalism as part of a systematic hate crime against the Hindu community in the country.
Days after its inauguration, one of the biggest Hindu temple in United States, built at a colossal cost of $100 million (Rs 543.5 crore) and designed to last 1,000 years, has become a major draw for its grandeur and architecture.
The Hindu American Foundation has reported that Sherawali Temple in Hayward, California was defaced with pro-Khalistani graffiti.
A similar incident had occurred earlier this year when, on March 9, a Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Hindu temple in Chino Hills, California, was found desecrated just days ahead of a so-called 'Khalistani referendum' in Los Angeles, according to temple authorities.
The BAPS Hindu temple in Chino Hills, California, was desecrated, marking another incident targeting Hindu temples in the United States. The Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) condemned the act and called for unity against hate, while the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) demanded a thorough investigation and highlighted a pattern of such incidents in recent years.
While 44-year-old Sunak was at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden on Sunday to promise to keep trying to "make the community proud", 61-year-old Starmer chose another north London Swaminarayan Temple in Kingsbury on Friday to reiterate his commitment to building a "strategic partnership with India".
A Hindu temple in Melbourne's Albert Park was vandalised with anti-India graffiti on Monday, days after the Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs was vandalised on January 16, Australia Today reported.
The City of Newark Police Department in Newark, Newark, California told PTI in an emailed statement that on Friday at approximately 8.35 am, they received a report of graffiti at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu Temple.
A priest, Bhaktiswarup, and three touts were arrested by the Crime Branch late last night [Monday night] under the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act.
The posters shared by Australia Today, read "Canada investigates the role of India in June 18th assassination".
'To prevent large gatherings, BAPS mandirs (temples) will be closed throughout the world, but devotees will be given daily darshan through the websites of each mandir,' the BAPS said in a media release.
US Vice President JD Vance and his family began their four-day trip to India with a visit to the Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple in Delhi. The Vances, along with their three children dressed in Indian attire, spent an hour at the temple, admiring its intricate architecture and receiving a traditional welcome. The visit comes amid ongoing trade negotiations between the US and India.
The New York Times said in a report on Wednesday that in the lawsuit filed in New Jersey federal court and amended last month, BAPS has been accused 'of luring labourers from India to work on temples near Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles, as well as in Robbinsville, New Jersey, paying them just $450 a month'.
This was the second incident of desecration at a BAPS temple in less than a month in the US amidst the growing trend of temple vandalism as part of a systematic hate crime against the Hindu community in the country.
The biggest Hindu temple outside India -- the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Shri Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Robbinsville, New Jersey, USA -- was inaugurated on Monday, October 9, 2023.
A prominent Hindu temple in Brisbane was attacked by Khalistan supporters on Saturday, in the latest incident of vandalism against Hindu temples in Australia.
The largest Hindu temple in United States, BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham, is scheduled to be inaugurated at Robbinsville, New Jersey, on October 8, 2023.
The incident comes following the vandalism of three Hindu temples in Australia by Khalistani supporters.
Vance is expected to be accompanied by at least five senior officials, including from the Pentagon and the State Department, the people cited above said.
A prominent Hindu temple in Canada's Ontario province has been vandalised by unknown people with "anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti", in what is described by the police as a "hate-motivated incident."
The priests arrested belonged to the Kalupur sect of Swaminarayan temple at Ahmedabad but worked under its branch in Surendranagar.
Sunak is in India along with his wife Akshata Murthy to attend the two-day G20 Summit.
The Ahmedabad crime branch had on Tuesday seized a CD containing images of sadhus indulging in wild sexual acts and arrested Junagadh Swaminarayan temple priest, Swami Bhaktiswarup, and three others.
The grand dedication ceremony of Akshardham in Robbinsville, New Jersey was conducted on Sunday in the presence of Mahant Swami Maharaj following a nine-day celebration that commenced on September 30.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated Abu Dhabi's first Hindu stone temple amid devotional chants and in the presence of spiritual leaders of the Swaminarayan sect.
'If men consuming food prepared by women having periods will reborn as bullocks'
A group of Indian workers in the US have filed a lawsuit in a district court against the Swaminarayan sect BAPS, accusing it of human trafficking and wage law violations during the construction of a massive temple in New Jersey.
'When we were able to visit his home, they just sort of ran up. They were hugging him.' 'He was just incredibly kind and generous to them.'
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday expressed concern over the vandalism of a Hindu temple with anti-India graffiti in the United States, and said extremists and separatist forces outside India should not get such space.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances