Name Susan Barton Young
School Deering High School
Project Title Kali: Cross-Cultural (Mis)Understandings

 

2.  Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

As summarized on the Indiana Jones website:

“In 1935, Mola Ram was one of the last High Priests of the Thuggee death cult of Kali left in the world. He was not content to simply hide in the shadows. He had seen and read of the destruction of his people, and he longed for retribution. His one passion was to restore Kali to her former glory, and accepted no excuses, delays, or failures to reach this end.

By the time Indiana Jones arrived at Pankot, Mola Ram and his followers had helped the dark hand of Kali descend not only over the Palace itself but the surrounding areas as well. With the Maharajah firmly under his control, Mola Ram no longer saw any reason to send his Thuggee far away from the temple. As a result, the Thuggee started raiding nearby villages, not only for sacrifices, but also for slaves to work in the mines and to finish building the new temple. Mola Ram himself took part in the raid on the village of Mayapore, to ensure that the Sankara Stone found there was returned to the temple.
Learning of the stone's theft from the altar at Mayapore, Indiana Jones set out to retrieve it from the clutches of the Thuggee.”

Famous Lines:

Indy:  Kali Ma protects us! We are her children! We pledge our devotion to her with an offering of flesh... and blood!
Indy:  Mola Ram! Prepare to meet Kali... in Hell!

http://www.indianajones.com/marshall/character/molaram/index.html

 

 

This site was created by (Susan Barton Young) at the NEH Summer Institute "Cultures and Religions of the Himalayan Region," held at the College of the Holy Cross, Summer 2006