Mara is a deity who is featured in the Disneyland attraction Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye.
History[]
Background[]
Mara was a deity worshiped in the Lost Delta region of what is now modern India. The Temple of the Forbidden Eye, located in modern India, was built as a dedication to Mara, who has the ability to grant one of three magical gifts to those who visit the temple—eternal youth, earthly riches or visions of the future. The catch being that none can look into the eyes of Mara without being punished by the wrath of the god. The temple came to be long since abandoned by its people and reclaimed by nature following a river-flood which occurred around 65 BC.
2,000 years later in 1935 the temple was rediscovered by Indiana Jones through the usage of a map which he obtained in the Bengalese temple of the tiger god Sherdil with a missing piece acquired on the black-market by his ally Sallah. Indiana and Sallah went on to begin excavating the temple through the, "Lost Delta Archaeological Expedition" with assistance from the Jungle Navigation Company and British Colonial Affairs. To receive additional revenue, the expedition was forced by British Colonial Affairs to host tours in the temple and make it a matter of media attention.
Through contacting allies, such as Abner Ravenwood and Marcus Brody, Indiana learned about a mysterious power-source of Mara within the temple known as the Jewel of Power. At one point, Sallah contacted his and Jones' ally Trader Sam to bring more guests to the temple from his bar, lending Sam a map of the temple to help with this. Despite several tourists being badly injured by the booby-traps of the temple, British Colonial Affairs refused to let the archaeological expedition to cease their tourism within the temple.
On the July 6 of 1936, Indiana Jones travelled deep inside the temple to hunt for the Jewel of Power only to vanish due to Mara's power. In Indy's absence, Sallah continued his temple tours with added hopes that one of these tours might find the lost Dr. Jones. One of these tours did run into Jones when he saved them from Mara's wrath as the deity attempted to suck them through the Gates of Doom. Jones and the tourists managed to evade Mara's wrath and escape the temple with their lives. The further fate of Mara and the temple remain a mystery.
Development[]
Mara is based on the being Mara from buddhist myth who was a demonic entity affiliated with death and rebirth. In myth, Mara is frequently affiliated with having tempted mortals with distractions, joys and earthly delights as a means of keeping them from achieving enlightenment. Mara's goal is to be the enemy of enlightenment and to keep souls from escaping the reincarnation cycle of samsara and leaving his influence.
Disney Parks[]
Adventure Trading Company[]
Mara is the namesake for the, "Eye of Mara" juju within this interactive-attraction. A depiction of the Eye of Mara is used for the juju's design and Mara's likeness is also used on stone tablets throughout the Eye of Mara mission.
Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye[]
Mara is the main-antagonist of this attraction, having caused Indiana Jones to disappear before the events of the attraction. For additional funds, Indiana's friend and ally Sallah opened up tours with the help of the Jungle Navigation Company and their Jungle Cruise. Guests play the roles of tourists exploring the temple on Sallah's tours.
Guests encounter Marah in the first scene where the deity offers guests eternal youth, earthly riches, or visions of the future. Throughout this scene Mara's animate statue is looming overhead and when seen has its eyes start flashing bright before it dooms the guests. The guests are saved by Indiana Jones but this turns into a race to escape the temple as Mara throws everything it has at guests. In the show, the main area has a massive stone carving of Mara shooting beams of light from their eyeball.
Indiana Jones Summer of Hidden Mysteries[]
Mara's likeness made a cameo appearance in the show Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Stone Tiger which was held within Aladdin's Oasis. This show took place before the events of Temple of the Forbidden Eye and at the end of it, Indiana Jones made off with a map to the Temple of Mara. Said map was located within the Temple of Sherdil in bengal.
Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar[]
In the lost & found of Jock Lindsey's bar is the map of the Temple of Mara with Mara's likeness upon it. Additionally, a depiction of the Eye of Mara is featured on the map behind the bar overtop Cambodia. Said eye symbol has a crease over it, paralleling how the eye of Mara is not supposed to be gazed into.
Skipper Canteen[]
Mara is referenced twice in the library of the Skipper Canteen. Once is by a book written by Indiana Jones titled, "The Eyes of Mara" and the other is by a book titled "Seeking Knowledge" by an author named Mara.
Trader Sam's[]
Mara can be seen on a map of the temple in the possession of Trader Sam, given to him by Indiana Jones. This map being found in Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar in Disneyland.
Trivia[]
- In Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull, Mara is replaced with the titular Crystal Skull.
- The Eye of Providence is often used to represent Mara's, "Forbidden Eye".
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