Pushpaka is the amazing and huge flying chariot called Vimana, of Kubera deity. The chariot looks like shiny clouds speeding on huge wagon wheels across the sky. It is believed that Hindu deities used soft shiny clouds to travel through the sky. Visvakarman, the master crafts deity is the creator of the top of the range Vimana vehicle called Pushpaka. Sanskrit epics and Hindu texts describe mythological flying chariots, temples and palaces as Vimana.
King Ravana had taken away this Vimana from Kubera. Later Rama returned it to Kubera. Originally, Vishwakarma had created the Pushpaka for the Hindu God of creation, Brahma, but gave it to the God of Wealth, Kubera, later. King Ravana, the half brother of Kubera, stole the Pushpaka away along with Lanka.
Vimana is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘having measured out’, ‘traversing’ or ‘measuring out’. This self-moving aerial vehicle or chariot carries the deity through the air.
The Vedas and Sanskrit epics have mention of Vimana, as a flying chariot used by various gods. Evidence of mechanical birds (Vimana) is seen in some of the versus in existing versions of the Rigveda.
In the Ramayana, Vimana is described as similar to the Sun, like a bright cloud in the sky and is able to willingly go everywhere.
There is mention of Pushpaka in Jain literature as Vimana-vasin (dweller in vimana) besides Vaimanika Shastra in the Sanskrit text during the early 20th century as ‘chariot of the Gods’. Ayyavazhi mythology has mention about Pushpaka Vimana as ‘a mythological aeroplane with flowers’.
