# Thuggee Chant In Temple Of Doom

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thuggee-chant-in-temple-of-doom/238901>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 8, 2004, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thuggee-chant-in-temple-of-doom/238901 "2004-04-08T04:52:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ricksummon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ricksummon/32/3333_2.png) [@ricksummon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricksummon)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thuggee-chant-in-temple-of-doom/238901/1 "2004-04-08T04:52:25Z")

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Does anyone know what the words to the Thuggee chant are in _Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom_? If you know Hindi, then please watch chapter 18 of the DVD and let me know. The IMDB says that “Kali Ma shakti de” means “spiritual power of Mother Kali”, but that’s all I have so far.

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**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thuggee-chant-in-temple-of-doom/238901/2 "2004-04-08T15:12:29Z")

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And What does Molderamm Scuderam mean?

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**Author:** ![ashtayk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@ashtayk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashtayk)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thuggee-chant-in-temple-of-doom/238901/3 "2004-04-08T16:12:57Z")

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> [@ricksummon](#):
>
> Does anyone know what the words to the Thuggee chant are in _Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom_? If you know Hindi, then please watch chapter 18 of the DVD and let me know. The IMDB says that “Kali Ma shakti de” means “spiritual power of Mother Kali”, but that’s all I have so far.

Just a quick correction; it means “Mother Kali give me strength” . Individual word meaning are…

Kali - Kali  
Ma - Mother  
shakti - strength, power  
de - give

The Molderaam scuderam is just nonsense.

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**Author:** ![Chastain86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Chastain86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chastain86)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thuggee-chant-in-temple-of-doom/238901/4 "2004-04-08T16:35:24Z")

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> [@ashtayk](#):
>
> The Molderaam scuderam is just nonsense.

Is it possible the cultists are saying something more like “Mola Ram scuderam?”

Makes more sense, being that Mola Ram is the head cultist.

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**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thuggee-chant-in-temple-of-doom/238901/5 "2004-04-08T16:46:03Z")

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I always thought it was _Mola Ram, Suday Ram_, phonetically speaking, of course. At least, that’s what my brother and I would chant at my mother to make her mad.