He began composing Sanskrit poems at the age of 12 and Malayalam poems at the age of 19. By the age of 20, he had established himself as a poet. Aside from poetry, he was excellent in a variety of other hobbies. The King of Cochin bestowed the honor of "Kavi Thilakan" upon him. This means "the poet laureate". He lived in an era when court poets were popular and famous. Kavi Thilakan is said to have written about 300 songs for temples, festivals, etc. Thilakan was born on April 23rd 1659 in Alangad, a small town near modern day Ernakulam in Kerala, India. His parents' names are not known but based on details found in some ancient documents, it can be assumed that they were Raja Vallathol and Princess Kunukkutti Amma. He had two sisters named Parvati and Kumari. The young prince showed an interest in music from an early age and used to spend his time practicing on musical instruments such as veenai, ilavu, and ghatam. He also wrote poems at a very young age. When he was only 12 years old, he became the king's official court composer. The job included writing music for ceremonies held in the palace as well as for religious rituals. The young prince traveled with his family all over Kerala performing religious ceremonies. This is how he gained experience as a musician and poet.