V. O. Chidambaram Pillai was born on 5 September 1872 in a vellalar family in Ottapidaram, Tuticorin District to Ulaganathan Pillai and Paramayee Ammal. When Chidambaram was six years old, he learned Tamil from teacher Veeraperumal Annavi. He heard stories about Shiva from his grandmother and stories from the Ramayana from his grandfather. He heard stories from Mahabharatha told by Allikulam Subramanya Pillai. As a child, he played goli (marble), kabaddi, horse riding, swimming, stilt walking, archery, wrestling, silambattam and chess.