SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — The Shirdi Sai Parivaar Temple in Milpitas was burglarized in the early hours of Thursday, September 25, in a theft that has left the local Hindu community shaken.
According to temple officials, intruders gained access by breaking into a side lobby door before entering the main hall. They then forcibly removed the center donation hundi, which contained offerings collected from recent celebrations.
“We don’t know how much cash is lost. Our hundi is gone, completely taken away. It’s very sentimental for all of us. More than money, we are heartbroken that someone entered the temple and stepped onto the podium,” a temple spokesperson told Diya TV.
Temple leaders confirmed that the burglary occurred between 5:30 and 5:40 a.m. and that CCTV footage captured the suspects in action. The footage has been shared with Milpitas police, who are now investigating.
In addition to the hundi, thieves also stole jewelry from the Chavdi, items considered sacred by devotees. Temple volunteers emphasized that the theft was not just a financial loss but also a violation of their spiritual space.
The Shirdi Sai Parivaar Temple burglary comes amid a troubling pattern of break-ins and vandalism targeting Hindu temples across California and the wider United States. Incidents in Santa Clara, Fremont, Newark, Sacramento, and Indiana over the past two years have prompted growing calls from community leaders for stronger security measures and federal recognition of what they describe as an escalating trend of hate and opportunistic crimes.
Police have urged nearby places of worship to review their security protocols, while community members are rallying around the Milpitas temple to help it recover from the loss.
For devotees, however, the damage is more than material. “A hundi can be replaced,” a devotee said, “but the hurt of knowing our sacred space was desecrated will take much longer to heal.”
