A controversial paper presented at the prestigious science conference, the 102nd Indian Science Congress in Mumbai, claims human aviation and advanced space flight was achieved and mastered by the ancient Indians, thousands of years before the Wright brothers in 1903.
The paper, presented by Captain Anand Bodas and Ameya Jadhav within a session titled Ancient Sciences through Sanskrit, details that in Vedic texts from 7,000 years ago, airplanes are described as being able to fly backwards and side-to-side. They could also shuttle between countries, continents and even planets.
Captain Anand J Bodas draws upon the ancient Vedas for evidence of aviation technology
“There is official history and unofficial history,” said Captain Bodas, according to TheNational. “Official history only noted that the Wright Brothers flew the first plane in 1903,” but the inventor of the airplane was really a sage named Bharadwaja, who lived around 7,000 years ago. “The ancient planes had 40 small engines.”
Painting of Bharadwaja, said to be one of the greatest Hindu sages. Public Domain
The Vedas are a large collection of Sanskrit texts originating in ancient India and constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. Some of the collection, such as the Samhitas, are known to date back to at least 1,700 B.C., although it is believed that many go back much further.
An illustration of the Shakuna Vimana that is supposed to fly like a bird with hinged wings and tail. Public Domain
The subject of ‘flying machines’ has been a popular subject among ancient astronaut theorists, who argue that some extracts are evidence of extra-terrestrial visitations:
“The Pushpaka (flowery vimana) chariot that resembles the Sun and belongs to my brother was brought by the powerful Ravana; that aerial and excellent chariot going everywhere at will… that chariot resembling a bright cloud in the sky... and the King (Rama) got in, and the excellent chariot at the command of the Raghira, rose up into the higher atmosphere.” (Ramayana)
However, Captain Bodas said that ancient Indians invented the technology and that it was later forgotten because of the passage of time, foreign rulers and things being stolen from the country.
The Times of India reports that the paper, presented at the conference which included six Nobel laureates and award winning academics and scientists in its roster, has been met with skepticism, claims of “pseudo-science,” and the argument that the theory undermines empirical evidence by citing ancient religious texts.
The Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) is a premier scientific organization of India, with more than 30,000 scientist members. The ISCA’s mandate is to publish journals, hold conferences and advance and promote the cause of science.
Valedictory Session of the 100th Indian Science Congress in Kolkata (Wikimedia Commons)
NASA scientist Dr. Ram Prasad Gandhiraman started an online petition before the conference was held to oppose certain lectures which were thought to advance a mix of science, mythology and the politics of Hindu nationalists.
However others, such as an Indian scientist from the U.S. who attended the conference, seemed to find the examination of ancient testimony compelling, saying, “Knowledge always grows, its flow never stops. So if all this knowledge was available in the ancient days, I need to know where it stopped. Why did it fail to grow? Why was there no advancement? When did it stop? I am not aware of the chronology of events, but I am definitely willing to learn more and find out.”
Featured Image: A manuscript illustration of the Sky Battle of Kurukshetra, fought between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, recorded in the Mahabharata Epic (Wikimedia Commons)
By Liz Leafloor
Time will tell.
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In reply to Not Exactly by Tsurugi
You are missing also the same point you where making. The period ancient Greece (800-200BC, has been the greatest focuspoint of archaeologists all across the world within Greece.
Only for the 20 years, did the focus shift to other much older era's where archaeologists have examples of incredibly old civilization, that we now are starting to talk for instance about an 8000 year old civilization in Central Greece that had remarkably advanced architecture for the time and multiple finds by now of writing dated to 8000,7300 and 7000 year ago, not to forget. With over a thousand archaeological sites dated to before 4000BC, of which most have been found in the last 10 years.
Even in the case of the 8000 year old civilization with where they found 60+ cities,villages,settlements over 24 have been found just in the last 2 years. What does this say? This says that in Greece, as well as Anatolia(presentday Turkey) there is a constant stream of incredible finds from all era's of human civilization from the dawn of human civilization 12.000 years ago till presentday.
And the same in the bronze age with the Minoan civilization(3650BC-1300BC) which had incredible art,palaces, cities with all of them multistorey houses each with flushtoilets, urban planning, sewerage systems, architecture that withstood earthquakes, roads, etc, is but an example of that is was one of the most advanced bronze age civilizations on the planet. These are but example of much older civilization in Greece.
You don't have to find me humble. Which is certainly not my intention with this post, It is to make aware.
I only write down what has been found, not like some exaggerating indian who claim that one of their gods are 160 million years old, and thus their civilization is 160 million years old, or that that the sunken city of Dwarka stories by some have been exaggerated to 7000, 8000 then 12000 and then 30.000 years old based on story telling, while in reality Dwaraka has been dated and internationally accepted to 1500BC. The oldest find they made was a tree branch that comes from the forest of the Arabian peninsula of 8500 years ago, into the strong currents of the Gulf of Ghambat.
Based on this branch, that most scientists believe floated to the strong currents of Ghambat bay, is apparently enough for some people to make incredible assumptions that the city is 8000, 12000 and then 30.000 years ago.
So it's fine you say you find my post not humble, I merely react on what you can call Bollywood storystelling, with immense exaggeration without facts to support, really.
I rather be someone who understands and works with proof, evidence, archaeological sites, linguistic evidence, than believing evergrowing stories, religious texts (in most cases well after AD), and images that are dated to much much much later that show flying horses,ponys and animals than the period they are actually fantazing about. I might as well start use the bible as proof!
The Point
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In reply to Time will tell. by Ptolemy336VV
The point you are missing is the very fact that Greece has been under so much heavy scrutinty by archaeologists for so long, while India has not. India is also vast, and even so it is known to be covered in innumerable ruins and magnificent temples and edifices, some of which defy belief, like the rock-cut temples or the stepwells. Few of these have really been studied by archaeology, and much of it is dated by asssociation and assumption. And no one has much bothered to search for hidden sites, since there are so many in plain view.
As for Dwarka, I can only say, you have not done your research, sir. So you fall back on the concensus of mainstream archaeology, which is sort of amusing, all things considered.
I don't actually have any problem with you being proud of the Greecian past. It is something to be proud of, for sure. But it is possible to be proud of one's history without denigrating the history of others. The greatness of Greece's past does not need to step on that of India to stand tall, because it stands tall on its own. Your belittling comparisons do not make Grecian history loom larger, they only make you yourself appear smaller.
First of all, there is
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In reply to The Point by Tsurugi
First of all, there is nothing belitteling about what I say. I point out unsolved puzzles that are claimed by some as truth.
Just like massive floating buildings, with 2 little wings that could fly front to back, left to right and to other countries and even planets. When one takes that and even presents it as proof, then who are you to judge me on saying that I cannot express my opinion on that there is 0% proof of this. Because really, there is no proof. And on top of that, these same people then saying how they invented everything, with again 0% facts to prove, is the only comical attraction here.
And about Dwarka. you know something that I don't know? well show me facts and information then. It's that simple. Same goes for Vimana's show me info then. So keep on dating by association and assumption, but the facts out there now, that are internationally accepted, say a whole different deal about many things. Show me 30.000 year of dwarka civilization, show me vimana proof. No? Then don't blame me by asking logical questions. "yeeaaah but but excuse this, and excuse that, and India has no archaeologists ".
Really, how do you know how much there still lies in wait in both regions. It is implying asif Greece (and Turkey for that matter) is nearing archaeological completion, while really there has never been found more ancient sites in both Greece, Turkey and India than ever before in the last 20 years. due to technologies that where not present before. Stop giving irrelevant excuses, in which you don't know what the truth is.
1).Just like the vimana's storytelling that are based on a 1930 Indian book written by a man thousands of years later, completely out of context and own interpretation. Above that it was never mentioned in the earliest religious texts and when it was mentioned in later religious texts, the vimana's where still a horse with a carriage on the ground.
That's is something completely different from these "fllying buildings that could travel to the stars". There is a strong difference between fiction and true evidence/what has been found to date.
http://ancientaliensdebunked.com/references-and-transcripts/vimanas/
For the Vimana's are completely torn out of context and in the earliest religous texts, they where never mentioned.
2).And an Indian NASA scientist even launched a petition where he states that the talk at the science congress is pseudo-science, which represents nothing but myths and lies, and demands that the talk is cancelled.
“
Controversy
The 102nd Indian Science Congress to be held at the Mumbai University in January 2015 is scheduled to have a session on "ancient sciences through Sanskrit" in which a presentation on Vaimānika Śāstra is included. It is slated to be delivered by Captain Anand J. Bodas, a pilot, and Ameya Jadhav, who holds in a M.A. in Sanskrit as well as an M.Tech. degree. Captain Bodas, speaking to the news media, has said that the aeroplanes of Vedic times could fly not only from country to country, but also "from planet to planet." "In those days, aeroplanes were huge in size, and could move left, right, as well as backwards, unlike modern planes which only fly forward," he added. Ram Prasad Gandhiraman, a NASA scientist, has launched an on-line petition demanding that the talk be cancelled as it represents pseudo-science.[10][11]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaim%C4%81nika_Sh%C4%81stra
3). Really, if you could be the one that could provide me even 1% evidence of what some people are claiming, then I would be the last one to say "nonsense it's not true".
If not, then not only do I keep seeing this as false and nonsense, also is it even worse for some Indians, As Greece exerted an incredible influence on Central Asia and Indian subcontinent in many ways, of which I have already provided clear sources. Which range from Astronomy, Architecture, coinage, 1000 year long Greek Buddha, to Rock cutting temples/caves (including the likes of Ajanta), jewelry, theater, up to small things like the Sari, that apparently (based on Indian scholars) have influence from Greece and Phoenicia, among other influences. It's easy as that.
Meanwhile, you can label me with anything you want, I don't share any of it.
Game Over
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In reply to First of all, there is by Ptolemy336VV
Well. I thought what I was saying was pretty clear, but apparently not. You keep responding as though I am attacking Greece--which I am not--and as though I was advocating or proselytizing for India...which I was not.
In fact, that is what you were doing, only the other way 'round.....denigrating the Indian cu,lture, while preachin' Greek awesomeness.
I was simply trying to suggest you might should dial that back a bit. as there is neither need nor reason for such virtriol, which gets us nowhere and does not further understanding.
Your response has been only to dial it up, then carry on at length with it.
Way to go, me. Feedin' the trolls again.
EDIT: It should be pointed out that you are attacking India on the basis of its mythology; to the point where you are quoting passages for the sole purpose of sneering at them in contempt. So far, no one has had such bad taste or poor manners to do the same to the Ancient Greeks, who had just as rich, colorful, complex, and wonderfully weird a pantheon and parade of deities as India ever did.
Yes, but no one today is trying to claim all those Greek stories of gods and men were actually real, right?
Right. But ancient greeks clearly thougt they were real, just as ancient Indians thougt theirs were real . Expressing your contempt for one implies you should have the same contempt for the other. You want me to try and "explain" the idea of vimanas to you....perhaps you might care to explain the cyclopse, or the golden fleece? Defend the concept of Olympus? The Oracle of Delphi, the deeds of Heracles?
Arrogant replies Ptolemy, and
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In reply to First of all, there is by Ptolemy336VV
Arrogant replies Ptolemy, and the links you refer to in your comment are nonsense.
In regards to the conference, because one scientist started a campaign against the presentation, it doesn’t mean anything at all.
Diminishing the importance of the Indian culture is at least ignorant.
BTW, nobody tries to persuade you, there is no need for that … You are free to present your opinion here and have a civilized discussion, but it is not very nice of you to consider yourself right and everybody else is wrong – nobody will take your arguments seriously if you comment like this so what is the point ...