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Types of ancient vimanas
Posted By Sarin on Apr 26, 2015     RSS Feeds     Latest Hinduism news
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In previous article, I listed out the details on airplanes and flying techniques/tips described in Vaimanika shastra. Continuing the research further into this article, I will list out the different airplanes models described in various ancient literary scripts including the well-known “Vaimanika Shastra”.

Arthasastra of Kautilya
In the Arthasastra of Kautilya, Kautilya mentions Saubha as the aerial flying city of  
King Harishchandra and Saubhika as “One (pilot) who knows the art of flying aerial vehicles”. Furthermore, he used one more term for pilots ‘Akasa Yodhinah’, which in Sanskrit translates to “One trained to fight in the sky”  
  
Ocean crossing flying chariots
Another Sanskrit text “Kathasaritsagara” mentions talented wood workers named  
Rajyadhara and Pranadhara that were so skilled in making mechanical contrivances that they can easily make ocean crossing chariots that can carry thousand passengers simultaneously in the same aircraft at speed equal to speed of wind.

Kumarasambhava of Kalidasa
One more text dated back to 800 BC named Kumarasambhava of Kalidasa has a mention of a remark made by Indra’s golden chariot rider ‘Matali’. He said, "Ahoudagraramaneeyaaprithvi", meaning “How beautiful is the earth looking from here!!!"
The same statement was said by Deepak Chopra (First Indian to travel in space) when he looked upon India from outer space.
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Guiding book for pilots and architects
One more Hindu text of the 11th century AD “Samarangana Sutradhara”, meaning ““controller of the battlefield”, has detailed information on many aspects of aircraft design including the proper clothing and diet for pilots. Whole chapter XXXI of “Samarangana Sutradhara” is devoted to construction, manufacturing and operation of various kinds of aircraft based on different methods of propulsion. 
Types of ancient vimanas
  
King bhoja, the author of this book, claimed his stupendous work to be derived from Vedas, puranas and other ancient manuscripts. This book also had magnificent details on other topics ranging from Vastu Shastra, architectural design, arts, paintings, temple construction and mechanical YANTRAS. Some of the manufacturing principles described herein are alleged to be used by American, British and German aircraft companies to create airplanes for world war. Some of the aerial machines described in this book are said to be capable of solar travel (Surya mandala) and interstellar travel (Naksatra mandala)
It has instructions and directions for driving airplanes. Flight manuals, aerial routes, normal and forced landings, clothes to wear, food to eat, spare parts and metals to have, power supplies, how to become invisible, tactics to avoid collisions with birds and so on.

Theories on mercury based airplanes and robots
Chapters on yantras is the most fascinating one as its verses from 95 to 107 describes airplanes and robots. There are around 230 stanzas on flight movements describing every possible theories on flying airplanes based on mercury engines. Below is the verses that describes the specifications of vimanas  
'The aircraft which can go by its own force like a bird is called a Vimana. The body must be strong and durable and built of a light wood [Lagha-daru], shaped like a bird in flight with wings outstretched [mahavinhanga]. Within it must be placed the mercury engine, with its heating apparatus made of iron underneath'.
Below is the short translated paragraph from William Clendenon translation of Samarangana Sutradhara on the use of mercury engines
"Inside the circular air frame, place the mercury-engine with its electric/ultrasonic mercury boiler at the bottom center. By means of the power latent in the mercury which sets the driving whirlwind in motion, a man sitting inside may travel a great distance in the sky in a most marvelous manner. Four strong mercury containers must be built into the interior structure. When those have been heated by controlled fire from iron containers, the vimana develops thunder-power through the mercury. At once it becomes like a pearl in the sky."
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Alloys, metals and components used for constructing planes
There are too many technical details that make it extremely difficult to refute the claims that airplanes didn’t existed in ancient times. Some of them are heat-absorbing metals along with melting point namely 'Somaka, Soundalike and Mourthwika’, mercury based propulsion engines, engine oils, different gears and types of mechanical equipments, and creation of alloys by mixing elements in right proportions. Name of metals like ushnambhara, ushnapaa, raajaamlatrit, etc. cannot be translated into English. Then, there are 7 different types of mirrors and lenses used for defensive and offensive purposes. Mirror named 'Pinjula’ shielded the pilots from evil laser rays that would turn them blind. Description of weapon 'Marika' is similar to laser technology used in modern Aircraft to destroy enemy aircrafts. Then there are also mention of cleaning these specially made metals using natural acids derived from lemon and apples.
  
Ancient Vimana Manuscript found in china
Few years ago, Chinese discovered some ancient Sanskrit text in Lhasa district of Tibet which was sent to Sanskrit scholars in University of Chandigarh.
Types of ancient vimanas
  
  On researching these texts, Dr. Ruth Reyna from university declared that the script contains directions for developing interplanetary spaceships
Even in the modern era, Scientist Acharya Bharadwaj from Indian science of aeronautics and Swami ‘Dayananda Sarswathi’, a spiritual yoga guru of the 18th  century validated the creation of ancient Vimanas using the anti- gravitational principle of propulsive thrust, known as laghima in Sanskrit. Laghima in modern science can be translated as “A centrifugal force strong enough to counteract all gravitational pull." According to these texts, flying machines, called as astras, was sent from Indian subcontinent to other planets including a planned trip to moon. These texts were not taken seriously by Indian scientists but the Chinese expressed their intentions seriously by announcing the research on anti-gravitational propulsive thrust theories in their space program study.
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These cross sections show the kind of crude mechanical and electrical technologies that existed during the period just following the World War I. There are large electromagnets, cranks, shafts, worm gears, pistons, heating coils, and electric motors turning propellers. The rukma-vimana is supposedly lifted into the air by "lifting fans" that are powered by electric motors which are very small compared to the size of the vimana as a whole. It definitely does not look as though it could fly. 
Twenty-five vimanas  of the current Yuga are stated as follows:
Shakuna
Sundara
Rukma
Mandala
Vakratunda
Bhadraka
Ruchaka
Virajaka
Bhaskara
ajaavarta
powshkala
Viranchika
Nandaka
Kumada
Mandara
Hamsa
Shukaasya
Sowmyaka
Krownchaka
Padmaka
Symhika
Panchabana
Owryaayana
Pushkara
Kodanda
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Flying machines and airplane models of demigods
In “Amaranga sutradhara”, there is a mention of  five flying machines originally built for the chief gods Brahma, Vishnu, Yama, Kuvera and Indra.
Later, four more types of flying vimanas were invented namely  
  
  • Rukma- Gold colored conical in shape
  • Sundara- Silver colored shaped like rocket
  • Tripura - Three floored airplane
  • Sakuna -Bird shaped airplane with wings
        There were 113 models based on above four main types. Some of the airplane had eight tubes made of special gas to absorb sunrays and store solar energy.  
    Shakuna Vimana:

    Types of ancient vimanas
    This Vimana has twenty-eight main parts. Some of them are Peetha or Floorboard; hollow mast; three wheeled keelakaas; four heaters; air suction-pipe; water jacket; oil tank; air heater; heater; steam boiler; viduyutyantra or electric generator; air propelling yantra; vaatapayantra or air suction pipe; dikpradarshanadwaja; shakunayantra; two-wings; tail portion; owshnyakayantra or engine; kiranaakarshanamani.
    Types of ancient vimanas
    Window-Dome at the top of the vimana accommodates the sun crystals for solar energy extraction. This Vimana has three vertical tiers, first one resting on peetha and each one of them separated by thick floorboard. At each corner of the first floor, there are heat engines. Supporting pillars in the ground floor accommodates passenger cabin. Second floor or tier accommodates yantras. Below the ground floor, there is a cellar that has some yantras(machines) like four air compressors driven by steam power. At the bottom is wing like structure that are made of huge feathers stacked one upon another and moved around a central pivot. This wing flaps along hinged joints to generate lift or elevation. Wing and tail is controlled through cables originating from the cockpit. Oil is ignited electrically. Leather bellows is used for storing compressed air. In addition to wheels on ground for landing and takeoff, there are three set of wheels along the length of the hallow mast to generate power.
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    Sundara vimana:
    Eight main parts of this Vimanas are:
      1)    Peetha or ground plate
    2)    Smoke chimney
    3)    Five gas engine  
    4)    Bhujya metal pipe
    5)    Wind blower
    6)    Electricity generator
    7)    Four phased heater
    8)    Outer cover
        Additionally, Pitha or ground plate of Raja-loha, constructed either squared or rounded. At the center is Dhoomaprasaran Naala or pipe. Water vessels, oil tanks are housed at the center. At the bottom is a tall cylinder used to store gas energy.
    At its foot is a container to store electricity. 
    Types of ancient vimanas
    Oil container has a mixture of three oils: Dhoomanjana oil, Shukatundalika oil (eggplant oil) and Kulaki or Red arsenic oil in the ratio of 12:20:19. This oil mixture is ignited electrically and controlled through revolving wheels. Dhoomodgama yantra is used to ensure even spread of gases at a constant speed. This yantra is constructed using metals formed by alloys named ‘Himasamvardhaka’, ‘Soma’ and ‘Soundala’. Thrust is produced by passing high-energy gases through number of  
    Sundalas or Jet nozzles. Sundals is a flexible, heat-resistant, metal-impregnated fabric, manufacturing process of which is explained by Lallacharya in brief. Sundals is also used for vertical movements and directional control of the craft.
    Generation of electricity by 32 types of machines is also discussed using different methods that included solar energy and thermal energy. This text felicitate Sage Agastya for the technique of generating electricity. In this Vimana, electricity was generated using four vessels kept at four directions and a central vessel. Central vessel was used to store generated electricity. Mercury was also used in the process of storing electricity. Each of these vessels was filled with different types of acids and dravas. Carefully treated lion’s skin and deer’s skin were also used because of their high insulation properties. Anshupa Mani was the yantra that absorbed sun rays and converted into electricity through a process not explained clearly. Stored Electricity was then distributed to different parts of the airplanes through insulated cables and wires for operating various services.
      
    Vataprasaran yantra is described as one of the devices responsible for takeoff or lifting of vimana. It comprises of twelve parts, including Naala-Stambha, valves regulating inlet / outlet for fresh, compressed air, exhaust, air guides, vanes. Compressed air conducted through Naalasthambha and energies directed by Dhoomodgama yantra through the inside of the main mast were directed through sundalas at high velocity to produce jet propulsion. 

    Raja-loha  is the metal used for outer structure and covering of this  vimana.  
    Chaturmukha or Oushnyayantra is the main heat engine. Comprising of 18 parts this includes, Oven, smoke opening, Regulatory valve, Water container, Peetha, Smoke accumulator, Valve controls, Speedometer, Sound-transmitting instrument, heat indicator (temperature), Time clock, Long sundala pipes, Copper pipes, AnthardhandaGhata, air bellows etc.  
      
      
    Rukmavimana:
    Rukma, meaning gold, has been named so due to his outer appearance of golden color. Golden color and enchanting look of vimanas was meant to be designed for royal kings. Raja-loha was impregnated with golden color before using it for fabrication. Yantra-Bindu and Varna Sarvaswa is the coloring process that was used to impregnate Raja-loha. Reading its description, it does not seems to be a plating process.
    Types of ancient vimanas
    Peetha or floor board is tortoise shaped of length 1000 ft. Electrical energy was used to operate Electro-Mechanical equipment that were used to lift vimana. This Vimana is stated to fly at a speed of 105 kroshas or 725 Mph. Conventional rudder system articulated through crescent shaped plate by means of push-pull rods was used for navigational control of vimana.
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    Tripura vimana:
    Tripura stands for three floors of three tiers. As the name suggests, it is a three tiered aircraft powered by solar energy. This Vimana has the unique distinction of operating on air, land and water. First tier is used for operation on land, second on or inside water and third for flying in air. Tiers of this Vimana can be individually crafted out to operate independently on land, air and water.
    Types of ancient vimanas
      
    Quite different from other three vimanas, Structure of this Vimana was made of mica (1st floor) and Thrinetraloha(2nd and 3rd floor). Set of wheels powered by electric motor were provided underneath peetha(floor) for movement on land. This wheel is retracted within when the vehicle is moved inside water in amphibian mode. Manufacturing process of producing special kind of mica has been described in details. First floor accommodated aisle, cabins for crew/passengers and store room. First floor was covered by water and air proof fabric that was easy to install and dismantle. This fabric is also fire proof and unbreakable.
    Second floor is slightly smaller than the first. When this floor enters into water, open hatches of wheel is covered by special water-proof milk-cloth. Air is supplied under pressure to second floor through ducts made of milk cloth. There are three additional yantras for protection, safety and comfort of crew and passengers. One yantra is for protection against stormy winds, second for protection against solar-blaze and third for protection against rainstorm.
    Types of ancient vimanas
    3rd floor is proportionately smaller than 2nd floor. Made of Somaka-loha, 3rd floor houses an electric generator. Procedure for extracting electrical energy from solar rays had been described in details. Few vessels and special tubes made of Anshupa glass along with electricity generating crystals is used in the process of generating electricity.
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    Dr. A.V. Krishna Murty, aeronautics professor at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore agrees with the findings that concludes the existence of ancient airplanes. He said “It is true that the ancient Indian Vedas and other texts refer to aeronautics, spaceships, flying machines, ancient astronauts. A study of the Sanskrit texts has convinced me that ancient India did know the secret of building flying machines-and that those machines were patterned after spaceships coming from other planets."  

    Conclusion:
    One may argue that it has not been established whether ancient authors were simply expressing their poetic imagination or were writing facts. Modern scientists has a very prejudiced view about ancient sages because they feel anyone having spiritual interests must be scientific and expresses imaginary stuffs. This viewpoint doesn’t makes any sense as all historic and archeological data reveals to support the existence of highly advanced mechanistic world, millenniums of years ago before the advancement of modern science
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