He was born as the son of Palooru Manakkal Madhavan Namboothiri, Sr. and Sreedevi Antharjanam on 22 June 1932 in Parakkadavu, Ernakulam.
Hailing from a very conservative Namboothiri family, he learned Sanskrit under scholar K. P. Narayana Pisharody at an early age.
He also had the opportunity to learn Kathakali at Kerala Kalamandalam under Pattikkanthodi Ravunny Menon and Vazhenkada Kunju Nair.
He worked first in the transport department and later in the maintenance section and retired as Senior operator of Ground Supporting Division in 1990.
Paloor conceives God as a Sultan, smoking his pipe filled with dried human lives (The Coward).