The Guardian of Tradition Dinner was a dinner banquet held at Pankot Palace in 1935. Hosted by the Majarajah Zalim Singh at the urging of prime minister Chattar Lal, the feast was to promote Pankot's standing in the region, and many dignitaries and merchants were invited. Several unexpected guests to the Palace were also invited, including Captain Blumburtt, and the recently arrived Indiana Jones, Willie Scott, and Short Round. To entertain guests, musicians played while a quartet of beautiful women danced. Jones observed that the dishes served were not ones that a Hindu would eat, and felt suspicious.[1]
The conversation and festivities stopped when Singh interrupted Jones' line of questioning about the possibility of a Thuggee resurgence.[1]
Jones kept a menu from the feast in his journal, and noted that he was satisfied by the dinner,[2] though he gave Scott an apple (as she had avoided eating the odd delicacies).[1] Short Round wrote that Jones was a liar as the dinner was "gross".[2]
Menu[]
- Gently Roasted vanAhira
- Coiled Wrigglies ("Snake Surprise")
- Cristpy Coleoptera
- Soup of the Head
- Primate Parfait ("Chilled Monkey Brains")
Dinner attendees[]
- Zalim Singh
- Chattar Lal
- Phillip James Blumburtt
- Indiana Jones
- Willie Scott
- Short Round
- Eel Eater
- Merchant 1
- Merchant 2
Behind the scenes[]
The Guardian of Tradition Dinner scene of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is remembered to be one of the most memorable scenes of the Indiana Jones franchise and has been parodied in other movies, television shows and video games.
Much like several aspects of the film, the Guardian of Tradition Dinner scene was widely criticized by critics due to giving the impression that Indian people eat gross meals. According to Roshan Seth (Chattar Lal), director Steven Spielberg intended for the scene to be a joke that the Indians knew that the Westerns thought that they ate insects like cockroaches, so they served them such unpleasant dishes to serve them what they expected. Unfortunately, Seth felt the joke ended up being too subtle within the film's narrative.[3]
Spielberg fulfilled one of his greatest dreams on including all sort of extravagant dishes in Pankot Palace's dining room, filmed at Elstree Studios. It should be noted, however, that not all the dishes were included in the final cut.[4]
Appearances[]
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom novel
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom comic
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom junior novel
- Indiana Jones: The Search For Buried Treasure
Sources[]
- The Lost Journal of Indiana Jones (First identified as "The Guardian of Tradition Dinner")
- Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide
- "Indy's Top 10 Funniest Moments" - Indiana Jones: The Official Magazine 6
- Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures (Limited Edition Collector's Set)
- The Greatest Adventures of Indiana Jones (Indirect mention)