Hindu temple vandalized in Minnesota, hand-crafted statues destroyed

w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r · April 10, 2006

After years of planning, the new Hindu Temple in Maple Grove, Minn. was on track to open in June. But after Wednesday night, the building is a mess and leaders are asking why someone wanted to damage their future place of worship.

Someone broke into the building on Wednesday and started bashing in the walls, smashing windows, and destroying hand-crafted statues from India that had taken two years to receive.

Dr. Shashikant Sane of the Hindu Society of Minnesota wondered who would do such an act.

"We are very sad," Sane said. "The whole community is very, very sorry about it."

The precious statues can't be salvaged ... and so much care and detail went into the religious symbols.

Kumud Sane, Hindu Society of Minnesota trustee, called it a "terrible act."

“We have had dreams to have this place for the past 30 years, we have worked so hard. Why would someone come here and do this type of action," he said.

Inside the building, it looks like someone broke in through a downstairs window, and took a swing every few feet. Temple leaders said it does not look like a hate crime and they have always felt welcomed by the community.

"We don't want to call it a hate crime. If something comes up later, that's a different story," Dr. Shashikant Sane said.

"It hurts a lot and I'm not a very emotional person ... but inside it hurts," said Umesh Singh, another society member.

More than 125 holes have been smashed into the walls in the building, as if someone used a baseball bat. Now the process to clean up begins, but still temple leaders want to open the $9 million building as planned the first week of June.

As of Friday, police have not made any arrests in the case.

http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_098083452.html