Shruti

In 1895 Shivkar Bapuji Talpade (1864-1916), a member of the Maharashtri, launched an unmanned aircraft called Marutsakha, (Sanskrit ‘ Marut’ means Air and ' Sakha' means ‘Friend’, so ‘Friend of the Air') on Chowpatty beach. This event predates the famous flight of the Wright brothers in 1908, considered to be the first ‘official’ flight of human history, with 13 years. What is more remarkable is in 2004, the Times of India confirmed: “ Talpade used the principles of the solar energy combined with the use of mercury to design his aircraft" and this refers to knowledge of the Vimana, ancient mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics, of which the Pushpaka Vimana of king Ravana