[3] Pulavar K. Govindan was born on 14 April 1916, at Tiruvathipuram, in the then North Arcot District, of the Madras Presidency.

After his initial schooling, he started learning Tamil literature under the tutelage of Avvai Su.

This association was instrumental in publishing the ingurunooru (Tamil: ஐங்குறுநூறு) text of Avvai Duraisamy.

This was a grand occasion, with the attendance of the prominent Tamil scholars of the time, such as Maraimalayadigal, Karandhai Thamizhvel, Umamageswaram Pillai, Na.Mu, Venkatasamy Nattar, and Gnaniyaradigal.

Denouncing the Sanskrit term "Vidwan," he adopted the Tamil word "Pulavar" as his title.