The origins of the Pallavas are shrouded in myths and legends. The Pallavas are described to belong to the line of sage Bharadwaja. Aswattama the son of Drona once while being in a hermitage near the province of Funan in South-East Asia was visited upon by the celestial nymph called Menaka who sought his hand. The child that they begot was called Pallava. Several grants recollect this by seeing Pallava's valour to be equal to that of "Aswattaman who that night of war relentlessly fought the demonic army of Ghatotgacha the son of Bheema." This apart several Pallavas were praised to have mastered and practiced alongside arms, the agamic worship rituals ("sarva agama sastra paradrushtva"). This apart the Pallava insignia of mace Khatvanga of Lord Siva and conch Samudraghosham of lord Siva was also sported by Aswattama. It is also true that several Pallava princes who took charges in Kanchi came from many distant islands also where extended the authority of the great kings, let alone from Indian subcontinent.

Origins
महत्त्वाचे राजे
Pallava Chronology
पल्लवांची स्थापत्यकला