The violent ritual killings that take place in the sleepy town of Charandaspur are the subject of Netflix’s crime thriller series “Mandala Murders.” A suspended Delhi Police officer, Vikram Singh (Vaibhav Raj Gupta), and a fierce female CIB officer, Rea Thomas (Vaani Kapoor), team up to solve the case and solve the huge mystery behind these killings. But as they learn more about the secret society Aayast Mandal—a group thought to have its origins in ancient rituals whose influence still lingers in the shadows of the city’s narrow streets—things become truly terrifying. Superstitions, ideologies, mythology, trauma, and the terrible hold of the past on the present are among the topics covered in the title. Rea and Vikram find themselves in a strange situation that puts them in serious danger as the story’s concsion draws near. To put an end to the killings and lift the town’s curse, the two must cooperate. BEWARE OF SPOILERS.
Mandala Murders Recap
The series starts in Charandaspur during the 1950s, where a team of people, predominantly women, is undertaking a ritual. The ritual is on the verge of completion, and the group believes Mahamani Rukmini is near completing their desires with the assistance of a mystifying device. A little later on, they reveal that they are conducting an experiment by transferring energies from one form to another using Aayast Yantra. They are attempting to bring their god, Yast, to earth, and if they succeed, the Aayastis will be able to seek revenge for the wrongs they have been suffering for all these years. For that reason, her battle-trained fighters have been murdering individuals and stealing their body parts to make a flawless vessel for their god. But the citizens of Charandaspur believe that they have been witnessing a lot of frightening things due to the Aayastis and intend to murder them. When the people arrive at the gates of the Aayast Sthal, an Aayast clan member sets one of the bodies ablaze, sabotaging the whole experiment. Sabotaging the experiment irritates Rukmini, but one of her minions makes her understand that she should flee this place since if she is alive, their hope of constructing Yast will also remain alive.
Currently, there is a suspended police officer from Delhi, Vikram Singh, coming back to Charandaspur along with his father. He spent his childhood there and doesn’t have fond memories of it. His brother, Pawan, and he were hurt after a road accident many years ago. The former has a fracture in his hand, whereas the latter dies. His brother’s death destroys his mother, Vasudha’s, mental balance, and compels her to take an unusual step. She takes the aid of Aayast Yantra in Varuna Forest to get his son back. The machine has the capability of controlling energies and fulfilling people’s desires at the cost of the thumbs of their right hands. But neither Vasudha nor her son returns. Then Vikram comes back with his father to Charandaspur and encounters a press photographer by the name of Abhishek. He sees that Abhishek lacks a thumb and greets him. As they arrive at Charandaspur, the policeman greets his friend, while his dad takes a dip in the Ganges. But the atmosphere changes when his father discovers the floating body of Abhishek, the man they had met on the train, and his torso is cut off. Instead, his hands and legs are sewn onto his face. Abhishek’s death catches them by surprise, and Vikram assists his friend, who is also a police officer, in getting to the bottom of the case. As he attempts to reach Abhishek’s wife in her house, he notices that there are many people protesting outside her house because Ananya Bharadwaj, the local politician, had arrived to meet her and had some of her opponents send the protestors there. However, Vikram manages to meet Ananya, and she is discovered to be the older sister of Kavita, the woman he has been dating for some time. Kavita is comatose following a severe hit on her head when goons attempted to murder Vikram in Delhi.
Abhishek’s murder becomes a high-profile case, and CIB officer Rea Thomas gets quite interested in it. Therefore, upon a conversation with her senior, she reaches Charandaspur to crack the case. Therefore, Rea starts her investigation, and in the process of solving Abhishek’s murder, she speaks to Ananya in her car and informs her about how her campaign manager, Vyankat, could have known Abhishek. As they are going, Ananya’s driver doesn’t follow the normal route to office, and informs that Vijay Yadav threatened to injure his daughter if he didn’t assist him. There is a fight between Rea and Vijay’s henchmen. She faces them head-on and defeats them. She is distracted by memories of a little girl, though, and this gives her enemies an advantage, and they knock her on the head with a rod. Meanwhile, the brothers go to the Varuna forest and instruct their servant, Birju, to sacrifice her thumb and request the Aayast Yantra to slay their enemies. But fate doesn’t go according to plan, and the brothers are brutally murdered. The double murder takes the city by storm. As the situation worsens, Rea seeks the assistance of Vikram to crack the case, and in doing so, both of them learn startling facts about their own lives that can transform their perception of the whole issue. Thus, it becomes crucial for them to find the individual behind all of this and put an end to the cycle of violence.
Mandala Murders Ending: Who is the Killer?
Although the investigation takes Rea and Vikram to several perplexing zones, both officers manage to identify the individual behind all the mayhem occurring in Charandaspur. But all the murders that take place in the town are later revealed to be part of a conspiracy. When Charandaspur’s narrative starts during the 1950s, one can find Rukmini heading the Aayast Mandal and employing the Aayast Yantra for restoring their god Yast to earth. They think the coming of Yast will put an end to their woes and the world will be an improved place. This implies that Rukmini is the one who is responsible for the killing that occurs at that moment. One of the most deadly mistakes in her scheme was that she assumed the people of Charandaspur would be contented to lose their near and dear ones. But when the people learn that the Aayastis have been committing atrocities in their town, they turn against them and manage to put an end to their experiment. Rukmini manages to escape, and she hopes that one day her dream will materialize. This scenario unequivocally shows that the Aayast Mandal acts as a cult and adheres to blind faith.
Cults believe what their leader says is true, and their god or goddess is bigger than every other deity that people have been worshipping. Rukmini’s belief in Yast reflects the psychological grip cults often have over their followers. Although they couldn’t fully experiment in 1952, a string of killings in the present-day Charandaspur has reignited the rumors of a cult working in the town’s cramped streets. The first murder is of Abhishek, whose body below the torso is missing, and some mysterious symbol has been engraved on his forehead. Vikram comes to know that Abhishek is Urmila’s son, and both of them used to play together when they were kids. Rea and Vikram are in the process of cracking this murder when another murder shakes the town, and the victims this time are Sujay and Vijay Yadav. Just like Abhishek, the Yadav brothers were handicapped, and although his servant, Birju, is aware of everything, he was unable to perceive the masked face of the killer. Sujay is an enemy of the local politician Ananya Bharadwaj. When his murder is reported in the media, people feel that maybe Aananya is the one behind the murders. However, the killings never cease as the killer kills innocent individuals, and one of those individuals killed in the process is Vikram’s girlfriend, Kavita.
Therefore, all the individuals killed share the same symbol that Abhishek wore on his head. Now, for the last and crucial part, the killer must possess the “blood of a miracle child,” and the killer decides to make Vikram that fellow. The killer kidnaps him to an unknown place and binds him to a chair. His father makes a call to Aananya, who further calls Rea from Vikram’s number, and requests assistance. Rea understands that there’s a shop near Vikram’s house that has a CCTV camera mounted on it, so she checks the footage and understands that the killer abducted him. She arrives at the spot and is betrayed by the police officials. She is now stuck in the same area as Vikram and trying to locate him. Meanwhile, Vikram wakes up and understands the individual concerned with the killings is none other than Ananya Bharadwaj, granddaughter of Rukmini Bharadwaj. This makes her an Aayasti and motivated by the same beliefs that her grandmother was motivated by. She thinks that Yast is the solution to all the problems and will rid the world of its pain.
Vikram is not only a regular human being to Ananya but also a sacrifice that must be made. The reason she selects him for the third piece of her plan is because he was a survivor of a bullet attack in the same accident which put Kavita into a coma. So, she suspects that he survived the bullet and that he is a miracle child. Finally, she thinks that the blood of Vikram will do the job, and their god, Yast, will come onto earth. But her scheme is thwarted when Yast doesn’t accept his blood, and Rea manages to track her down. Rea kills Ananya and puts an end to the horrifying experience. But ultimately, one of their warriors, taken prisoner by the police, is freed by another Aayasti warrior, and the Aayast Yantra magically begins operating. This appears to be a nod in the direction of what is to come and why the tale of the Aayast Mandal is not yet done. This makes sense in terms of its conclusion because there is so much to do with the narrative that is so deep and complex. Although Ananya has died, there may be many different Aayastis who can run the society on their own terms. Not only do they maintain their movement going, but the Aayast Mandal’s legacy will not be forgotten.
Who Developed the Aayast Yantra and For What Reason?
When the Aayast Yantra is first mentioned in ‘Mandala Murders,’ absolutely nothing is said about it being developed. For years now, it has long been believed that Aayastis possess a wish-granting machine. The first time that someone requests a wish is when Vikram’s mother visits the Aayastis and requests a wish. She does so after the doctors reported that her second son, Pawan, had passed away due to the injuries he sustained from a road accident. While Vikram too injured himself during the accident, he comes out safely. The moment she brings Pawan to Varuna Forest for the wish, she wishes with her coin that her child would return to life. Naturally, all those who desire a wish do the same, but how did the device find its way to the Aayastis, and how is Rea connected to this tale?
In the course of discovering the facts regarding the murders, Rea and Vikram come across Jimmy Khan, who is aware of Aayast Mandal due to his grandfather’s familiarity with the same. The latter has written a great deal of information regarding the Aayast Mandal, and his grandson has been reading it. Jimmy comes across a book named Macabre: Memories by Robert McCauley while investigating. When Jimmy’s granddaughter is among the victims of the murderer, he understands that his own life could be at risk as well. He is hospitalized, and when he comes around, he calls Rea to inform her of something incredibly important. When Rea arrives at the hospital, he instructs her to look through the said book, and what she finds in it surprises her. The novel is composed of a picture of a woman who looks like Rea. The narrative enters a flashback, in which Nandini and Anant go to Charandaspur. They have been dispatched there by the government to inspect the location for a nuclear power plant. The individuals that are with them, such as McCauley, instruct the two not to go to the location this late at night. Besides, McCauley informs them of another location they can utilize for the nuclear plant. However, the two decline, and they proceed to visit the site. Nonetheless, they learn that if they must locate the nuclear plant at the approved location, they would need to demolish the Aayasthal, the site where Aayastis pray or carry out their experiment. When they arrive at the said location, they instruct Nandini, a particle physicist, to approach the group. Her mission is to inform them that the government will utilize this to construct the nuclear plant, and they must vacate the area. Nandini encounters Rukmini, who explains to her about their god, Yast, and how he selects his followers.
But Anant comes in between and blatantly tells them that this place will be destroyed for the construction of the nuclear plant. Rukmini warns them by saying that something bad will happen if they do that. Her conversations with Rukmini put a doubt in Nandini’s mind, and she wants Anant to check another site. Yet, Anant denies her request and destroys the Aayasthal. Nandini goes back to their guest house, while Anant remains behind for the demolition. Once she reaches home, there is a knock on the door, and upon opening the door, she finds Rukmini waiting with two of her assistants. Rukmini explains to her regarding the Aayast Granth and how Nandini is connected to the Aayast Mandal. The Aayast Mandal’s Mahamani reads Aayast Granth and narrates that the lady who will be causing the downfall of Aayasthal will assist the Aayasthali in the generation of Yast. Furthermore, she explains the three traits that the said individual will possess. Firstly, the individual will be engaged on a device of energy. Secondly, the woman will be pregnant, and thirdly, the woman will be a widow. Though Nandini possesses the first two traits, she also smiles upon listening to the fact that the woman is a widow. Nandani is married to Anant, who had taken her to Charandaspur, so she can’t be the lady of the prophecy. Someone knocks on the door after a few minutes and informs Nandini that Anant has met his death in a car accident. On hearing the news, the prophecy also starts materializing in front of her eyes. What had seemed like superstition then turned to be personal, and that is when she became aware that she was the woman in the Aayast Granth. With time, she bears a daughter and identifies with the Aayastis, producing a device that they begin referring to as Aayast Yantra. Initially, the only function of the device was to fulfill wishes and make Yast. But Rukmini did not intend to leave matters at that. She informs Nandini that Charandaspur will be eradicated as a reset in this world is required. When Nandini attempts to dissuade her from carrying on with the experiment, she kills her. Shortly later, a mob arrives outside the laboratory of the Aayastis and attempts to break the door open by force. Since all Aayasti warriors guard the gate, Nandini, before dying, set fire to Yast’s mortal form, destroying the whole experiment.
Are These Deaths Killings or Sacrifices?
As Rea and Vikram investigate this chaos, they learn a horrific truth and understand that these murders may not be simple murders, but human sacrifices. During the 1950s, when they created the Aayast Yantra for the first time, the ritual that they used was quite straightforward: somebody comes, sacrifices their right thumb, and they are granted their wish. Meanwhile, at the same moment, these killings terrorized the town and led them to believe that the Aayasti women are indeed witches who perform black magic. In today’s era, the cycle continues, and individuals are given their wishes upon offering their thumbs as an offering. In one scenario, Sujay and Vijay’s mother visited the Aayastis and utilized the Aayast Yantra to rescue her children from an attack. The wish comes true, and the Yadav Brothers are rescued. But not everyone is able to operate the machine, and if a person must operate it, he or she must possess a unique type of coin featuring the Aayasti symbol on one side.
This has been the trend for decades. But what people do not know is that whenever an individual requests a wish, another person will die and their body parts will be removed. It is a coincidence, but when the tale of the deaths is revealed, it comes out that the deaths are linked to the wishes directly. This question is resolved in a flashback sequence as Rukmini comes out with a revelation that the cost of the wish is not a thumb, but rather the death of an individual. The people of the towns are under the impression that the Aayast Yantra’s granted wishes have a price tag attached – a small thumb, a symbolic offering. But they do not realize the chilling pattern: with every granted wish there is cold-blooded killing. Every wish becomes an important part of the ritual being performed by the Aayast Mandal, and with every murder, they are one step ahead of their ultimate fantasy. The miracles did occur, but they are eventually preceded by death. So, all the deaths occurring in Charandaspur appear to be sacrifices and not mere plain, cold-blooded murders.
Does Vikram Find His Missing Mother?
When Vikram comes back to Charandaspur, we know about his mother, Vasudha, only that she disappeared after the accident that killed his brother. But he never finds out what happened and whether his mother is alive or not. Therefore, besides solving these murders, he keeps searching for clues regarding his mother. The first breakthrough that he achieves is when he comes to know that Urmila Aunty, who had gone with his mother to the Varuna Forest, was still alive. But when he meets her, she discovers that she is mentally unsound and does not talk much. Vikram had assumed that he would learn something about his mother from her, but she is not in a state to inform him of anything. He thus begins to apply his mind to the murders occurring in Charandaspur. The suspended Delhi Police inspector assists Rea with the case, but in the recesses of his mind, he is still thinking about his mother. The reason why this might be the case is that he is guilty, and the fact that he knew his mother had gone to the forest due to the accident. Perhaps he feels he might have done more for his mother and worked harder to try to locate her.
However, the town continues to be terrorized by the ritual murder, and the last thing that the murderer desires is the blood of a miracle child. Therefore, the offender kidnaps Vikram and brings him to the Aayast experiment facility. That is when he finds out that Ananya is the one responsible for all this and that she happens to be the granddaughter of Rukmini Bharadwaj. Vikram asks her why she is pulling all this off, and she tells him that the solution lies far beyond his level of understanding. But she assures him that she will provide him with the solution he has been looking for. She calls a person from behind, and to his surprise, it is Vikram’s mother, Vasudha. When Vasudha first visited the Aayastis for the desire, she requested the resurrection of her child. But her desire was denied, and she became insane. She trails behind the man who operates the device and ends up in a part of the laboratory, where she is discovered by Rukmini. She understands that Vasudha did not receive her wish because her son, Pawan, passed away before the wish would have been granted.
Although they contemplated killing her, Rukmini asserts that they should hold on to her. Consequently, she has been staying with the Aayastis for quite a long time. At last, when Ananya and her team are attempting to inject Vikram’s blood into Yast’s mortal form, something goes awry, and Yast does not accept Vikram’s blood. They learn that the Aayast Yantra is being used and some person’s wish is being answered. They discover that the wish which Vasudha wished at the very start is being answered now, and saving Vikram’s life. This is the essence of hope. When brutality and superstition attempt to compel fate into doing something daring, it is a silent act of love that changes everything, including fate. What Aayastis did not learn is that the Aayast Yantra does not respond to cruelty or control, but to the purity of intention. That’s why all of the wishes that did get granted were never for killing another human being; they were always for protecting or restoring something that was lost. For Vikram, it was closure he needed on his mother and seeing her alive that made his life a little bit easier. Read More: Best Indian Shows on Netflix
