Ramaraju was born in a family of wealthy zamindars (landlords) in a remote village named Devunuru located in present-day Telangana, India on 16 April 1925.

[1][2] He was able to complete his primary education in the village, but had to walk 14 km to Madikonda, near Hanamkonda and now a part of the district centre of Warangal, for his secondary schooling.

[3][4] Although he wished to attend the London School of Economics, his father's death later that year meant he had to stay home and take care of his family instead, but he was still determined to study his academic interests and decided to complete his higher education in-state.

[1][3] Despite winning a seat in parliament during the 1952 elections as a member of the Indian National Congress, Ramaraju refused to take it up in order to continue with his folklore studies.

[1] Additionally, he was also proficient in Urdu and edited an Urdu-Telugu dictionary, and also translated works by Sarat Chandra Chatterjee and Premchand into Telugu for the first time.