SUMMIT STATION, PENNSYVANIA, July 8, 2004: A Hindu temple that is among the largest in North America has reported more than US$52,000 worth of jewels and ornamental items stolen, police said. The stolen items included two 8-carat round diamonds with a combined value of $40,000, state police at Schuylkill Haven said. The thefts at the 35,000-square-foot Haveli at Vraj near Summit Station in Wayne Township took place between May 4 and June 4, but temple authorities were only recently able to compile a list of what was missing. Other stolen items included a red box of gold jewelry worth $10,000, a 10-inch-tall silver cow worth $2,000 and three 3-inch-tall silver cows with a combined value of $600, police said. Thousands of Hindus from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York come to the temple on 240 acres of farmland to celebrate Hindu holy days and events. The temple’s website is http://www.vraj.org/. More information is also available at http://www.pluralism.org/affiliates/richardson/summary.php.
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