 Kalinga Navada was born on 6 June 1958 as the fifth son to Padmavathi and Ramachandra Navada at Gundmi Village, Udupi District, Karnataka, India.He married Vijayashree and had one son Agneya Navada.Born in a Bhagavata family, Navada inherited this art from his father Ramachandra Navada who was a well-known Yakshagana Bhagavatha during the 1960s–80s.