In today’s times, in metallurgy, we have hardly ten types of crucibles where as in ancient scriptures in India, there are hundreds of crucibles with manufacturing process of each of them given in Sutras. These scriptures have chapters devoted to metal extraction, purification, alloys, furnaces and anything that we can even imagine. A very brilliant scientist Dr. C.S.K. Prabhu, who is studying all these scriptures, has found certain materials which cannot be identified by the modern chemists and right now holds patents for these materials. All these scriptures, which I am talking about, are Bhardwaja’s Vaimanik Shastram. These Sutras, thousands in number, give a detailed procedure of manufacturing different types of alloys which can be used to make aircraft bodies. The properties these alloys are said to posses are mind blogging. Each and every method is described with utter perfection.
 
There are many scriptures in India which talk of space crafts, aero planes. I will like to translate here a Shloka from ancient Samarangana Sutradhara- “Strong and durable must the body of the Vimana be made, like a great flying bird of light material. Inside one must put the mercury engine with its iron heating apparatus underneath. 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. The movements of the Vimana are such that it can vertically ascend, vertically descend, and move slanting forwards and backwards. With the help of the machines human beings can fly in the air and heavenly beings can come down to earth” This may sound quite unbelievable, but NASA is trying to make engines which will be using mercury ions to gain a flight.

One of the most interesting things is that, to fly a plane, we have to overcome gravity and frictional drag of air. Most of the energy is gone in overcoming these two forces. Wonderful thing is that, Indian Scriptures talk of eliminating them. So, there is no question of overcoming. If we are able to eliminate frictional drag, a lot of energy can be saved.

The credit of flying first airplane goes to Wright Brothers. But, there is a very fascinating story of an Indian, who flew a plane 8 years before Wright Brothers. Mention of his experiment can be found in all the Newspapers that time. The mention of this aircraft can be found in the records of historian Evan Koshtka. The name of Indian was Shivkar Bapuji Talpade. Wright brothers could have their aircraft only up to 120 feet. The aircraft made by Talpade could rise up to 1500 feet. It was made from the knowledge from the ancient scriptures which used only mercury and sunlight. Surprisingly according to the bi-monthly Ancient Skies published in USA, the aircraft engines being developed for future use by NASA by some strange coincidence also use mercury bombardment units powered by Solar cells! Raja of Badoda, Sayajirao Gaikwad was funding Talpade for all his research and experimentation. This experiment was conducted on Mumbai Chowpati and was put recently in front of Aeronautical Society of India by a North Zone president Dr. P.V. Walwade. The society gave the result, that this was lighter than air aircraft.

Somewhere it is texted that, British Government warned Sayajirao and asked him not to help Talpade. Due to death of his wife at same critical time, Talpade was not in position of conducting any research.

The Viman or aircrafts mentioned in Mahabharata are said to be even mightier than these mercury ones. There is even mention of planes which could fly on psychic powers. Most depressing thing is that, what we today are only the fragments of Sanskrit Scriptures and not the whole texts. If fragments can lead to such a revolutionary concept, we should try to get the whole scriptures.

Though many scientists in India and round the Globe are working on these scriptures, following are the speed breakers:

1.     The units of heat, mass, forces etc. were completely different than what we use now. Forces were given names of animals for instance. How much force was indicated by which animal, that we do not know.

2.     Our basic metallurgy is very poor compared to the one mentioned in these scriptures. The alloys, furnaces, crucibles, extraction and purification methods given in these scriptures are just too advanced for us.

A lot of research is being done on these scriptures outside India but when Brihad Vaimanik Shastram was first found in Sounth India in the form of scriptures, it was termed as a fraud. The duty of revitalising this knowledge rests with all - The scientists, government, students and the researchers.