- He was born on December 30, 1879 in a village called Tirucculi about 30 miles south of Madurai in southern India.
- His middle-class parents named him Venkateshwara, although a few years later he enrolled in school under the name Venkataraman. His family were Iyers, members of the Tamil Brahmin caste.
- His father died when he was twelve, and he went to live with his uncle in Madurai where he attended American Mission High School.