Janaki Amma was born in a village in Thrissur district of Kerala and lived most of her life in Ernakulam. She joined the Cochin Praja Mandalam after completing her studies and later joined the Indian National Congress. She participated in the Indian Independence Movement from 1940 to 1944 . She was a member of the Ernalkulam Municipality from 1949 to 1953. She was also the first woman municipal chairperson of Travancore-Cochin. She left active politics after joining the judicial services.
