Cary's Hindu Temple Statue Vandalized; World's Tallest Murugan Statue Planned for North Carolina

Cary's Sri Venkateswara of North Carolina temple was targeted by vandals in the early morning hours of January 18, 2026, when five individuals damaged the sacred Dvarapalaka statue at the temple's entrance and fled in a small sedan. Cary Police are seeking public assistance to identify the suspects. Separately, North Carolina is set to become home to the world's tallest Lord Murugan statue, a 155-foot structure planned as part of a vast 130-acre temple complex that will surpass the height of the Statue of Liberty.

🪔 Dvarapalaka Statue at Cary Hindu Temple Vandalized in Pre-Dawn Attack

The Cary Police Department is investigating an act of vandalism at the Sri Venkateswara of North Carolina, a prominent Hindu temple in the city of Cary, after suspects damaged the sacred Dvarapalaka statue at the front of the temple on Sunday, January 18, 2026. The incident occurred around 3:00 in the morning. Surveillance video from the temple captured footage of at least five individuals running toward a car and then speeding away from the scene shortly after the damage was done. Police identified the vehicle as a small sedan. The Dvarapalaka, a type of guardian figure traditionally placed at the entrance of Hindu temples, was discovered to have been damaged following the suspects' departure. Detectives with the Cary Police Department are actively working to identify all individuals involved and are also investigating the circumstances surrounding the act of vandalism, including the possible motive. Authorities are asking members of the public who may have information about the incident or the suspects to come forward. Anyone with information can contact Cary Crimestoppers at the telephone number (919) 460-4636. Callers are not required to reveal their identity. ABC11 News reported on the incident on Friday, January 23, 2026, noting that the case remains under active investigation. [1]

🗳️ WRAL: Five Suspects Sought After Sri Venkateswara Temple Vandalism

WRAL News reported that Cary police are investigating the vandalism of a statue outside the Sri Venkateswara of North Carolina in Cary, an incident that surveillance cameras recorded in the early morning hours of Sunday, January 18. According to the Cary Police Department, cameras at the temple captured images of five people in the area around 3 a.m., after which the individuals left the location in a small sedan, speeding away from the property. Shortly after their departure, the Dvarapalaka statue located at the front of the temple was discovered to be damaged. Police stated that their investigation is ongoing, and officers are working to identify the individuals seen in the surveillance footage and to determine the circumstances behind the damage to the statue. The department asked anyone with relevant information to come forward through available reporting channels, including anonymous options via Cary Crimestoppers at 919-460-4636 or through the online anonymous tip service at p3tips.com/1242. The case has drawn concern from the Hindu community in the Cary area, where the Sri Venkateswara of North Carolina serves as a major center of worship and cultural activity for thousands of South Asian families in the Research Triangle region. [4]

🤝 World's Tallest Murugan Statue, Taller Than Statue of Liberty, Planned for North Carolina

North Carolina is set to become the site of the world's tallest Lord Murugan statue in the United States, a monumental project that will rise to 155 feet and span a 130-acre temple complex, according to a report by IndianEagle's travel and diaspora news platform. The planned structure will surpass the height of the Statue of Liberty, which stands at 151 feet from its base to the tip of the torch, making the North Carolina Murugan statue a landmark of unprecedented scale within the American Hindu landscape. Lord Murugan, also known as Kartikeya or Subrahmanya, is a major deity in South Indian Hindu tradition and is particularly revered in Tamil communities worldwide. A statue of this size and a temple complex spanning 130 acres would represent one of the largest Hindu religious infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the United States. The development is expected to draw Hindu pilgrims and visitors from across the country and internationally, and would add significantly to the cultural and religious landscape of North Carolina, a state with a growing South Asian population concentrated in areas such as the Research Triangle. IndianEagle reported on the project, noting its significance for Indians in North Carolina and for the broader Indian-American diaspora. [5]

Sources: [1] ABC11 News · [4] WRAL · [5] IndianEagle