Fremont Hindu Temple & Cultural Center in California has called for talks with residents following reports of more than 25 noise complaints, saying earlier attempts to arrange meetings had not produced a dialogue.
The response brings competing accounts into focus: neighbors have raised concerns about noise and crowds, while temple authorities say they have already relocated major festivals to reduce disruption.
NBC Bay Area reported that residents showed its journalists records of more than 25 complaints submitted to city code enforcement over the past year. The residents interviewed requested anonymity. The complaint count does not, by itself, establish that authorities found violations.
In a statement, temple founder and chairman Dr. Romesh K. Japra said the institution had attempted to meet residents who repeatedly raised concerns.
“We have attempted to arrange meetings and engage in constructive dialogue, without success so far,” the statement said. Japra also expressed disappointment with coverage that, in his view, presented an institution serving families for more than four decades primarily through a neighborhood dispute.
Residents Seek Relief as Temple Defends Celebrations
Residents told NBC Bay Area that events at the temple brought noise and large crowds into the surrounding neighborhood. Their concerns place the scale and management of gatherings at the center of the dispute.
The temple said its premises host religious services, spiritual gatherings and small to medium-sized traditional celebrations. According to its statement, major events including Diwali, Holi and the Festival of Globe have already moved to larger venues elsewhere in Fremont to accommodate attendance and limit inconvenience.
The statement defended such gatherings as a means of preserving cultural traditions and connecting younger generations with their heritage. It renewed the invitation for dialogue with the named residents.
The temple’s response did not announce an agreed meeting, revised event schedule or settlement of the dispute.
