Page "K. R. Narayanan" Paragraph 3

K. R. Narayanan was born in a small thatched hut at Perumthanam, Uzhavoor, as the fourth of seven children of Kocheril Raman Vaidyar, a physician practicing the traditional Indian medical systems of Siddha and Ayurveda, and Punnaththuraveettil Paappiyamma.

His family ( belonging to the Paravan caste, whose members are assigned the task of plucking coconuts as per the caste system ) was poor, but his father was respected for his medical acumen.

He was born on 27 October 1920, but his uncle, who accompanied him on his first day in school, did not know his actual date of birth, and arbitrarily chose 27 October 1920 for the records ; Narayanan later chose to let it remain official.