Hindu temple in US raided by burglars, valuables stolen

Houston, Jan 20 (PTI) A Hindu temple in the US state of Texas has been raided by burglars who stole some of the valuables from the premises, leaving the Indian community in a state of shock, according to a media report.

The incident took place at Shri Omkarnath Temple in the Brazos Valley, Texas on January 11, KBTX-TV reported on Friday. “There was a sense of invasion, that sense of loss of privacy when something like this happened to us,” Srinivasa Sunkari, a Board member for the Brazos Valley Shri Omkarnath Temple said.

This is the only Hindu temple in the Brazos Valley, a place for local Hindus to worship, and find peace and community. “There was a break-in. They broke in through the side window and what was immediately apparent was missing is our donation box and a safe in which we keep our valuables,” Sunkari said.

“The priest and his family who live in an apartment right behind the temple, they are safe,” he said. A video captured by security cameras inside the temple shows a person ignoring the shrine and going straight to the donation box. The suspect then used the temple’s cart to wheel it out the door.

Sunkari says they notified the community members at a gathering Sunday, sharing the leaders’ sentiment for more security. But, he says the group won’t let this incident keep them from their commitment. “We will rebound, we will take extra precautions to make sure our priest is safe and this family is safe and our place of worship is safe. And we hope that something like this doesn’t happen to anybody in the future,” Sunkari said.
The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office says they are investigating the burglary.