Hindu Mandir’s Annus Horribilis – Walk Through the Terrible 2024

2024 caps the worst year for the Mandir since the opening of Mandir in April 2001. However, the worst year in Mandir history started in late 2023, not at the beginning of 2024, when this publication highlighted the Board’s decision to elect the 2024-2025 Executive Committee by not following the Mandir bylaws. Moving to 2025, the current Mandir Board of Trustees doesn’t have clear answers to most questions the community demands regarding the Hindu Mandir’s future.


Mandir is going through a challenging period regarding community engagement and financial sustainability. This was clearly on display at the recently organized meeting by the Board with a security guard outside and a member’s private security guard inside the Mandir. Was there a threat or perceived threat by the Board member to waste donors’ money on the security?
Kerfuffle ensued immediately after opening remarks by the Chair of the Hindu Temple, Gopinath Latpate. The community demanded the resignation of trustees who approved the lawsuit and demanded reimbursing the legal expenses by the same trustees. Will the Board of Trustees, who approved the lawsuit and are directly responsible for wasting donor’s money, over $200,000, on legal fees, resign as the community has lost trust in them overseeing the Hindu Mandir?
In 2024, community attendance and participation at the Mandir events fell to an all-time low, especially on the most important Hindu festival of Diwali, which had less than 50 attendees. Donations from the community disappeared to negligible levels. Mandir is probably running a monthly deficit and having a rough time covering its routine monthly operating expenses. The absence of financial reporting suggests a lack of transparency and communication with the community.
Here’s the timeline of brewing controversies and disastrous decisions by the Trustees the community doesn’t trust.
November 6, 2023 – An email went out by the Mandir Board of Trustees for an election for the upcoming executive committee members. The email stated, “We warmly encourage our community members who wish to contribute to our journey to submit nominations…Ensure your nomination is sent to us by November 30, 2023, at the latest.” However, Mr. Latpate took it upon himself to notice the Temple’s elections for Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and the Executive Committee for December 10, 2023. He was not the Chairperson of the Board and had no authority, under the Temple’s By-Laws, to call a meeting or set an election.
November 30, 2023 – Multiple community members submitted nominations for the Executive Committee before the deadline.
December 1, 2023 – Another email was sent stating, “Ensure your nomination is sent to us by December 6, 2023, at the latest.” The second email extended the deadline to December 6, 2023, without any explanation. Per the court documents, it is alleged, “concerned that the applicants were not sympathetic to him (Latpate) and his small group of agitators, Mr. Latpate unilaterally extended the time for nominations from November 30, 2023, to December 6, 2023, to ensure candidates that he considered more “favorable” would apply for Executive Committee positions.
With no nomination committee to maintain confidentiality and an extended nomination deadline, the community members started questioning the trustees for their unjust actions. Both emails requested prospective members to email their nominations to contactus@hindutemplelv.org.
December 11, 2023 – Election results for the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees were announced. The email stated, “Together, let’s move forward with hope, faith, and determination towards a bright and prosperous future.” The announcement did not go well with the community as, by now, it was clear the election was rigged in favor of a candidate who did not apply by the original deadline of November 30, 2023.
Of the four members of the “new” Executive Committee, three – all but the Vice President – were candidates who submitted nominations after the original November 30, 2023 deadline. The new “President,” Mohan Achanta, submitted his nomination on December 2, 2023. The new “Secretary,” Girish Kaimal, submitted his nomination on December 6, 2023. The new “Treasurer,” Deepa Varatkar, submitted her nomination on December 4, 2023. Only the Vice President, Pratik Dudhia, submitted his nomination timely, on November 28, 2023. Mr. Dudhia was subsequently elected President at the only valid election.
December 16, 2023 – Chairman Jagdish Mehta sent an email. In his email, Chairman Jagdish Mehta wrote as follows: It is with a heavy heart and a concern for the Temple’s legal well-being I officially cancel the election of our executive committee members who had not sent their self-nominations before the official cut-off date of November 30. That includes 3 of the 4 unlawfully elected executive committee members. Two minutes after Chairman Jagdish Mehta sent his email canceling the election, Gopi Latpate, the erstwhile “Chairman” sent a letter of resignation. In it, he wrote as follows: “After considerable reflection on my career priorities and personal commitments, I’ve decided to resign from my roles as a trustee and the future chairman of the board.” Approximately forty minutes after that, Ujwalla Mahatme, also resigned in writing. Several hours after that,Chairman Jagdish Mehta accepted the resignations of Mr. Latpate and Ms. Mahatme.
December 19, 2023 – Per the reply by defendant’s legal team, Ranjit Jain, who held no formal role in Temple management, purported to “call” an “emergency meeting of the [Active Trustees] of Temple.
December 29, 2023 – In a futile effort to regain some measure of control, on December 29, 2024, Mr. Latpate attempted to rescind his resignation. Per the court filings, his email is emblematic of his approach to Temple affairs; he claimed that the Temple By-Laws “while a guiding principle, are not absolute,” and expressed his dismay at Chairman Jagdish Mehta’s desire to follow “legal technicalities,” such as the By-Laws which guide the operation of the Temple. Ms. Mahatme also attempted to rescind her resignation by email dated December 29, 2023, leading to the perception that their actions were coordinated.
January 14, 2024 – A Special Emergency Board Meeting was held on January 14, 2024. A quorum was present. An election was held that complied with all relevant Temple By-Laws. At the Board Meeting, the following positions were filled: Chairman – Amarat Bhai Patel; Vice Chairman – Nutan Parikh; President – Prateek Dudhia; Vice President – Bharti Gupta; Secretary – Soumendra Mookerjee; Treasurer – Rakesh Patel. No challenges to the outcome of the election were submitted.
January 26, 2024 – A threatening email to vegasdesi.com by Gopinath Latpate, Chair of the Mandir, for a trivial matter. Latpate emailed vegasdesi on linking Latpate’s resignation letter to a vegasdesi news item, in which he said, “my email which was intended to only the recipients and extremely confidential; you have not taken any consent before publishing my email on your website. This forms the breach of confidentiality and information rights. I have flagged this to my legal counsel.”
Mr. Latpate forgot that he is in the public sphere and does not live under the rock. The world knows where he lives, his email (glatpate@gmail.com), and other information. How naïve for a self-anointed Venture Capitalist.
March 10, 2024 – A decision was made to authorize legal action on behalf of the Temple. 5 Trustees, the quintuple squad – Gopi Latpate, Ranjit Jain, Ram Janga, Ujwala Mahatme, and Savita Chander – approved the decision to file a Lawsuit. The same trustee failed to assess the fiscal impact on Mandir’s finances.
March 12, 2024 – As the above five trustees voted, the Hindu Society of Nevada filed a lawsuit against the three Trustees and four members of the newly elected Executive Committee. The lawsuit alleged a tragic attempt to disrupt the affairs and complete a hostile takeover of The Hindu Society of Nevada.
March 22, 2024 – Hindu Temple Chair Gopi Latpate sends a threatening letter to vegasdesi.com for publishing the lawsuit on vegasdesi.com. This was the only news media informing the community of the lawsuit. There was no official communication from the Mandir on the lawsuit and its fiscal impact on the Mandir. The community questioned what and why the Trustees hid the lawsuit information from the community and voted to waste the donor’s money on litigation.
April 2, 2024 – Defendant’s attorney filed a response to the lawsuit emphasizing that on December 10, 2023, Mandir held an election that failed to meet most of the formalities required by the Temple’s Bylaws. That election was rightfully and successfully appealed and overturned. A new election that complied with all procedural requisites was held on January 14, 2024, at which a new Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and Executive Committee were properly elected. The defendant’s legal team argued that after receiving an appeal from a candidate – Pratik Dudhia – Chairman Jagdish Mehta was within his authority to cancel the election and start the process again, this time in compliance with the Temple’s By-Laws.
April 26, 2024 – Mandir email titled – Court order related to recent temple litigation. The email stated that on April 25, 2024, after a hearing and presentation of evidence, the Eighth Judicial District Court, the Honorable Judge Joanne S. Kishner, entered a temporary restraining order finding that the individual elected on December 10, 2023 are likely the duly elected Officers of the Temple with the sole authority under the Society’s Constitution and Bylaws. Emphasis “likely”.
June 2024 – Settlement reached among the parties involved in the lawsuit. Legal fees in six figures started piling up with a long dark tunnel for a court to settle the dispute; both sides agreed to resolve the dispute. Again, deafening silence from the Mandir management. Management did not inform the community of the settlement agreement and its contents.
July 26, 2024 – Lawsuit dismissed with prejudice.
August 6, 2024 – Mandir email titled – Join us in Welcoming our New Committee and Board. We are pleased to announce that the recent organizational matters concerning our Temple have been resolved, and we are operating under a newly formed Executive Committee and Board.
September 2024 – After multiple attempts, this publication got hold of the settlement agreement and published its contents. Although the settlement among the parties was executed in June, the management, for over three months, failed to disclose the agreement to the community. Again, there was deafening silence and lack of transparency till this publication disclosed a $200,000 expenditure on the lawsuit.
October 7, 2024 – Mandir email titled – Unveiling the Real Story. Clarifying the Truth. The email was a personal vendetta by Latpate to denounce vegasdesi.com for publishing Mandir litigation, settlement agreement, and more. By sending this email, Chair Latpate, a signatory to the agreement, violated the terms of the settlement agreement. Latpate and company did not inform the community about the lawsuit or the subsequent settlement and spent over $200,000 of the donor’s money on litigation. By now, the community members were furious as they learned about the quintuple squad’s decisions exclusively from vegasdesi.com.
October 19, 2024 – Community members call for a special meeting in November. The meeting was postponed when the organizers learned about the official meeting called in by the Board Chair Latpate to discuss the community concerns.
October 27, 2024 – Diwali Mela. Mandir management decided to hold the first Diwali mela instead of the traditionally held Dusshera mela. The abysmal turnout due to the ongoing conflict among the management team was a disappointment. However, there was good news when Hon. Assemblyman Reuben D’Silva announced he was introducing a bill in the State Assembly to make Diwali an official day of observance in the State of Nevada.
October 31, 2024 – Dark Diwali at the Mandir. Shockingly, in stark contrast to previous years, this year (2024) Diwali, the community disappeared, while few lost souls experienced a somber atmosphere inside and outside the Mandir premises.
November 5, 2024 – vegasdesi.com receives another threatening letter from the law firm Beckstrom and Beckstrom, demanding to cease, desist, and retract. The letter said, “This firm is general counsel for the Hindu Society of Nevada (“HSON”).” Did the Board vote on retaining this law firm, and on what basis was the firm chosen to represent HSON? Did the RFP go out to seek competing bids from the local law firms with more direct and relevant experience with non-profit organizations?
In a recently held public meeting, this publication asked the Chair Latpate who authorized a letter and if the Board authorized such wasteful expenditure. Latpate refused to answer.
November 22, 2024 – Invitation to Community Town Hall Meeting. Per the notification, “The meeting is an opportunity for us to come together, share updates, and address questions or concerns regarding the Temple’s operations and ongoing matters in our community. The notification asked the community for the submission of questions in advance rather than an open forum for Q&A.
December 16, 2024 – Townhall Meeting. Kerfuffle ensued immediately after opening remarks by the Chair of the Hindu Temple, Gopinath Latpate. Some community members asked why an attorney was present and who authorized and paid the attorney. No decisions were made as the meeting turned chaotic with the blame game. During the meeting, the Chair informed the community of the next day’s Board meeting to discuss the current situation at the Mandir. The community demanded answers at the meeting. After wasting over 90 minutes, the Chair lost control and abruptly walked away with the attorney.
December 17, 2024 – Board Meeting. Email to the community – Thank you for Attending Our Townhall Meeting. Emails had an attachment of the presentation slides from the town hall meeting. However, the meeting did not discuss most of the attached presentation slides.
December 18, 2024 – There was no communication from the Board on community concerns, from reimbursing the Temple for legal fees to the resignation of the Board member. December 17th meeting was initially announced to be in-person; however, a few hours before, the meeting was changed to an online meeting. No one from the Board communicated with the community about the outcome of the decisions made in the meeting.
In conclusion, since December 2023, the quintuplet squad led by Latpate has continuously struggled to adapt to new realities, whether in leadership dynamics, community engagement, or relevance in a changing religious & spiritual landscape, and violated specific terms of the settlement agreement. The community is exhausted with specific Trustees pursuing their own personal agenda to destroy the beautiful place of worship, which had an excellent run for the first two decades since opening in April 2021.
During 2024, there was no transparency and deafening silence from the Board as it conspicuously ignored the need to inform the community of the lawsuit, the legal expense, and the settlement agreement with the community. Even more concerning is that the Board failed to address internal conflicts meaningfully, making things worse for themselves and the community they are supposed to serve.
Moving on to 2025, the community demands an immediate resignation from the trustees who voted for the lawsuit, reimburse Mandir for the cost associated with the litigation, and bring back Mandir to its glory days for religious & spiritual awakening.
My hats off to Vegas Desi for a detailed summary to inform newbies like me on what has happened at our hallowed temple. Hopefully, the Fab5 trustees respond point by point on their rebuttal rather than just threaten you with another lawsuit or send us a generic eblast like the prior one simply saying the ‘the attorney check of $200,000 with one signature to that same person’s attorney was as per procedures’. No single person has that authority in the real world and besides why would you do that. Have some one else sign the check to your attorney! They probably have attorneys on speed dial. I don’t trust media readily so would love to read their rebuttal but what you write here seems very credible. Of course, community has lost respect in the leadership of temple and these otherwise distinguished people should move on and allow fresh leadership to take charge. These Fab5 seem successful in their private ventures so focus on that and not mess up the temple. God is watching!
The worst is the funds belong to donors like us who donated $10 ,$100 to GOD for spiritual activities and sustainability of day today affairs. Paying attorney with one signature is the epitome of arrogance and middle finger attitude to the entire society. How can a person donate $50K ,become trusty and destroy temple?? there needs to be a different criteria’s other than money -to be the trustee -the only criteria should be who can serve temple like a servant of GOD??
Hindu temple is hijacked by one person – JANGA. He wants to close the temple , sell the land and build apartment complex with partnership of the trustees supporting his vision. People of Las Vegas demand resignation of these low life trustees and free the temple ” Sanatan dharma temple” the only one in Las Vegas. I pray God to punish these monstors !!they have lost moral , trust and integrity to continue running the affairs of temple – instead should be remorseful and apologized the GOD if not public.
People want – weekly Sanatan discourses, yoga, meditation courses, children education , Sunday lunches etc etc. We lost $350k dollars ( litigation $300k plus 35k – unproductive structure ) could be use for parking construction. Gods have left the temple for sure —