The Sri Venkateswara Temple of North Carolina in Cary was vandalised, according to the Hindu America Foundation. One of the 'Dvarapalakas' (sacred guardian deity statues) near the Raja Gopuram entrance was damaged on January 18. Officials said the incident was reported immediately to the Cary Police Department, which is reviewing surveillance footage. Authorities assured that the temple's spiritual sanctity has not been affected. Restoration of the damaged statue is underway, following traditional agamic practices, New India Abroad reported. Hindu advocacy organisations condemned the attack. The Hindu American Foundation said on X, "This act is not 'just vandalism' but an attack on a religious community." They urged a thorough investigation and warned, "silence and minimization only embolden more attacks." HinduPACT’s American Hindus Against Defamation called the damage to the "sacred place of worship" "abhorrent". They demanded that those responsible be "apprehended and prosecuted for this hate crime." The group offered assistance to the temple and tagged local police and FBI Director Kash Patel. Both organisations stressed the incident reflects wider concerns about safety at Hindu temples across the US and should be taken seriously for potential bias motives. As of January 22, police have made no arrests and revealed no details about suspects or motives. This episode has renewed attention to vandalism cases at Hindu temples nationwide in recent years. Sri Venkateswara Temple is a key spiritual and cultural centre for Hindus in North Carolina’s Research Triangle area. It hosts religious services, festivals, educational programmes, and community events. Temple leaders have appealed to devotees to stay calm as investigations proceed.