Vimana
Vimāna is a mythological flying palace or chariot described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The Pushpaka Vimana of the demon king Ravana is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also mentioned in Jain texts.
Etymology
The Sanskrit word vi-māna (विमान) literally means "measuring out, traversing" or "having been measured out". Monier Monier-Williams defines Vimana as "a car or a chariot of the gods, any mythical self-moving aerial car sometimes serving as a seat or throne, sometimes self-moving and carrying its occupant through the air; other descriptions make the Vimana more like a house or palace, and one kind is said to be seven stories high", and quotes the Pushpaka Vimana of Ravana as an example. It may denote any car or vehicle, especially a bier or a ship as well as a palace of an emperor, especially with seven stories. In some modern Indian languages like Hindi, vimana means "aircraft", for example in the town name Vimanapura (a suburb of Bangalore). In another context, Vimana is a feature in Hindu temple architecture.
Vimana (video game)
Vimana (ヴィマナ) is a vertical scrolling shooter, developed by Toaplan and released by Romstar and Tecmo in 1991 for the arcades worldwide. Vimana was unique in its combination of a Sci-Fi theme with brief Hindu references.
Story
Taking place in an unnamed solar system, a devastating war overtakes an inhabited alien planet. Caused by an accumulation of social and political insanity brought-on by an unknown force, the war forced its most sane and industrious people to flee their mother planet entirely. However, the exiled space colonists are still accosted by their victors who continually remove chunks of the planet's surface still containing biotic life for use as flying fortresses. The inhabitants plot to win-back their planet with the aid of the Vimana Warriors: pilots capable of handling ancient but powerful space fighter ships.
Gameplay
Players control their ship over a constantly scrolling background; the scenery never stops moving until the final level is reached. Players have three weapons at their disposal: the standard shot, a charge shot and a bomb weapon.
Vimana (disambiguation)
Vimana may mean:
- In most modern Indian languages, the word vimāna, vimān means aircraft.
- "Biman" is the same word in the Bengali language and is Bengali for "airplane", and is the national airline of Bangladesh.
