This is the third such incident in the country this year.

A Hindu temple in the US state of Texas has been vandalised with offensive images spray-painted on its walls, the third such incident in the country this year.

The number ‘666’ and an upside down cross was spray-painted on the door of the temple in Old Lake Highlands, north Texas.

Krishna Singh, who is on the temple’s board, said they discovered the graffiti last Monday.

“That was a big shock, really. The whole thing has been very disturbing to the community,” Singh said.

Dallas police sent out detectives with the gang unit who are still searching for suspects.

Now devotees will build a fence around the entire property to keep vandals out.

Neighbours are upset too and both Hindus and non-Hindus have offered to help the temple clean the damage.

“The sentiment of the neighbourhood is that we all find it appalling,” said Ted Hoffman, who lives across the street.

Singh says the temple wants to add surveillance cameras, better lighting, and a fence to prevent this from happening again.

This is the third such incident in the US in three months after two temples were vandalised in Washington state in February with words like “Get Out” and “Fear” scrawled on the temple walls.

In addition, an Indian grandfather was left partially paralysed after being roughed-up by police in Alabama in February.