Born on 20 May 1885 in Travancore he was educated at Madras Medical College, where he qualified in 1909, and at the Middlesex and London Hospitals. He was gazetted a Lieutenant in the Indian Medical Service on 28 January 1911 and took the Conjoint diplomas a fortnight later. He was promoted Captain on 28 Januray 1914, and saw active service in the first world war with the Aden Field Force 1915-17 and in German East Africa 1917-18. After taking the Fellowship in 1921 he was appointed Professor of Surgery at Madras Medical College and Surgeon Superintendent of the Government General Hospital. He was promoted Major on 28 July 1922 and Lieutenant-Colonel on 30 July 1930. He retired from the Government service in 1935 and as a private consultant with a modern nursing home played a leading part in the medical life of Madras for nearly a quarter of a century. He was founder-president of the Indian Association of Surgeons in 1937. Pandalai died at Kilpauk, Madras on 5 February 1960.