Vandals desecrate Temple by the Sea

The vandals also destroyed carpets, electrical wiring, lights, glass windows and concrete pillars.

The cost to repair the damage and burglar proof the structure is estimated at more than $100,000.

The destruction took place on Friday night after the building was secured by a caretaker.

Randolph Rampersad, president of the temple expressed horror at the damage done to the famous religious site.

“This temple is regarded as a National Treasure to Trinidad and Tobago. It is staggering to think that people living in a civilised society could do something like this and desecrate somebody’s religion.

“This defies logic in a country that is aspiring to achieve 2020 vision.”

The temple, which was rebuilt in 1995 under a committee of which Rampersad was chairman, received assistance from the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP), as well as from overseas.

Rampersad was on a fishing expedition when he received the “disturbing news.” The murtis destroyed were Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanooman, Mother Durga, and Lord Krishna. The only one left standing was Lord Shiva.

The temple is not affiliated to any religious organisations in the country but Sat Maraj, secretary general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, expressed concern about the vandalism. “This is a religious tragedy against the Hindu community that could have far-reaching implications. It is a clear case of religious intolerance and it must be investigated thoroughly by the Government and the Ministry of National Security to ensure incidents such as these are not repeated,” he said.