This episode of History of Bangalore delves into the enigmatic origins of the Chalukya dynasty. Host Ramjee Chandran explores theories ranging from local leadership to divine descent, and witness their rise to power under Pulakesin I. Discover the significance of Vatapi, the barbaric Ashwamedhayaga horse sacrifice, and how the Chalukyas challenged established powers. From Jayasimha, the king without a crown, to Pulakesin I, the Vatapi Chalukyas established themselves and began an empire that would last centuries until they fell to the Rashtrakutas. This is the first in a series that plots the Chalukyan trajectory. We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Prestige Group, that makes this podcast possible. Follow The History Of Bangalore on social, here: **Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofbangalore/** **Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoryOfBangalore** **Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoryOfBLR** **YouTube: https://youtube.com/@HistoryOfBangalore?si=mnH3BsYfI4BUU234** iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1323-the-history-of-bangalore-163453722/ Follow Ramjee Chandran on Instagram and Twitter: @ramjeechandran The theme music for the show was composed by German-Indian Koln based percussionist, Ramesh Shotham. RESEARCH AND SOURCES: All our episodes are based on published research and archive records. To know about sources for any specific information, we encourage you to correspond with Ramjee Chandran [email protected]. We will pass it on and do our best to reply expeditiously to every mail we receive.