V. O. Chidambaram Pillai - Early Life

Early Life

V.O.Chidambaram Pillai was born on 5 September 1872 in therkku vandanam in his mothers home near kadambur Ottapidaram, Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu State of India, the eldest son of lawyer Olaganathan Pillai and Paramayee Ammal. When Chidambaram was six years old he learnt Tamil from the teacher Veeraperumal Annavi. He heard stories about Lord Shiva from his grandmother and stories from Ramayana from his grandfather. He heard stories from Mahabharatha told by Allikulam Subramanya Pillai. As a child, he played goli (marbles), kabaddi, horse riding, swimming, stilt walking, archery, wrestling, silambattam and chess.

He learnt English from a Taluk Officer named Krishnan in the evenings. When Krishnan was transferred, Chidambaram’s father built a school with the help of the villagers and appointed Aramvalarthanatha Pillai from Ettayapuram as the English teacher. The school was run by Fr. Adamson, a priest at Pudhiamuthur. At fourteen, Chidambaram went to Thoothukudi to continue his studies. He studied at St. Xaviers High School and Caldwell High School, Thoothukudi and Hindu College High School, Thirunelveli.

Chidambaram worked as Taluk office clerk for some time before his father sent him to Thiruchirapalli to study Law. He passed his Pleadership exam in 1894, returning to Ottapidaram to become a pleader in 1895.

In Chennai, Chidambaram met Ramakrishnananthar, a saint who belonged to Swami Vivekananda Ashram (monastery), who advised him to "do something for the nation". Here he met the Tamil poet Bharathiyar who shared his political ideology. The two men became close friends.