Object

Eel-Filled Boa Constrictor (Pankot Feast)

A grotesque culinary dish served as the second course at the Maharajah's banquet in the Pleasure Pavilion during the Pankot Feast. Servants slit open a whole boa constrictor lengthwise on platters, exposing a squirming mass of live baby eels packed inside the carcass. The eels writhe visibly as the slit skin falls away, heightening the horror of the cult's hospitality. Willie Scott recoils in disgust, while Indiana Jones, Short Round, Chattar Lal, and Captain Blumburtt observe the escalating grotesquery of the feast. The dish serves as a shocking second course designed to provoke and test the guests' composure, underscoring the palace's embrace of grotesque customs and sharpening the cultural clash between Western visitors and Thuggee-influenced Indian aristocracy.

5 appearances

Purpose

Served as the second course in the Maharajah's banquet to shock and impress guests

Significance

Escalates Willie's revulsion at Pankot cuisine, sharpening the cultural clash between Western visitors and Thuggee-influenced Indian aristocracy while foreshadowing the story's descent into barbaric horrors

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

5 moments

S1E2 · INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM

The Maharajah’s Feast: A Clash of Cultures and Occult Secrets

The slit-open boa constrictor, revealing a mass of writhing live baby eels, is the second course served. The eels’ squirming motion provokes further revulsion from Willie, who watches in dismay as the other guests casually consume the dish. This course escalates the feast’s grotesquery, reinforcing the palace’s decadence and the guests’ cultural dissonance.

Before: Prepared in the palace kitchens, the snake slit open to expose the live eels, ready for presentation.

After: Consumed by the guests, with Willie Scott’s horror reaching new heights.

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S1E2 · INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM

The Occult Divide: Colonialism, Superstition, and the Unseen War

The live eels, served inside a slit-open boa constrictor, wriggle visibly on the platter, provoking revulsion from Willie Scott. The fat merchant cracks open the snake, exposing the eels, and proceeds to eat them with enthusiasm. This course escalates the feast's grotesquery, mirroring the group's growing discomfort and the palace's embrace of the macabre.

Before: Alive and writhing inside the boa constrictor, ready to be served.

After: Consumed by the guests, with Willie Scott visibly horrified.

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S1E2 · INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM

The Maharajah’s Silent Threat: A Feast of Deception and Dread

The boa constrictor, slit open to reveal a mass of squirming live baby eels, is the second course served at the feast. Its presentation—live eels writhing inside the slit snake—deepens the feast's psychological horror, pushing Willie Scott closer to her breaking point. The eels symbolize the cult's ability to conceal life within death, a metaphor for the Thuggee's hidden influence. Their squirming movement underscores the feast's unsettling atmosphere, reinforcing the group's growing unease.

Before: Prepared in the palace kitchens, the snake slit open just before serving to reveal the live eels.

After: Consumed by the guests, its revolting presentation contributing to Willie's collapse.

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S1E2 · INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM

The Feast of Shadows: A Test of Nerves and the Unmasking of Evil

The boa constrictor, slit open to reveal a mass of writhing live baby eels, is the second course served at the feast. The eels’ squirming movement as the snake’s skin falls away amplifies the dish’s horror, provoking Willie’s revulsion and Short Round’s avoidance. The boa constrictor serves as a metaphor for the Thuggee cult’s deceptive nature—beautiful on the outside, but filled with writhing evil within. Its presentation is a deliberate escalation of the feast’s grotesquery, designed to test the guests’ endurance.

Before: Alive and intact in the palace kitchens, prepared for the feast’s second course.

After: Slit open and served, its eels consumed or avoided, its symbolic role as a representation of hidden evil fulfilled.

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S1E2 · INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM

The Maharajah’s Moral Reckoning and Willie’s Breaking Point: A Feast of Deception and Horror

The boa constrictor, slit open to reveal a mass of squirming live baby eels, is the second course served at the feast. The eels' writhing movements horrify Willie Scott, who watches in revulsion as the snake is cut open. The dish serves as a visceral metaphor for the Thuggee cult's dehumanizing influence, its squirming eels a dark reflection of the cult's victims. The live eels symbolize the cult's ability to twist and manipulate life, a stark reminder of the horrors unfolding beneath the feast's opulent facade.

Before: Carried in on a silver platter by servants, presented to the guests as the second course.

After: Consumed by the guests, its remnants left on the table as the feast progresses to even more grotesque dishes.

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