A 46-year-old tailor from the untouchable caste with a kind demeanor and scars on his face, who looks after his nephew Om with fatherly concern.

The 17-year-old nephew of Ishvar, known as Om, who is thin and pessimistic with a tendency for impulsive outbursts.

A pretty 42-year-old widow struggling to maintain financial independence, who runs a sewing business from her home and rents a room to Maneck.

Dina’s greedy older brother who exploits her after the death of their parents and tries to control her life for financial gain.

A hair-collector and con artist who shows Ishvar and Om the ropes in the shantytown and continuously reinvents himself.

A kind and generous beggar without legs or fingers, who helps other beggars and has connections to the Beggarmaster.

The boss of a large group of beggars who uses connections for financial gain and has a complicated relationship with Shankar.

A middle-aged proofreader who meets Maneck on a train journey and appears throughout the story with varied occupations and philosophical insights.

A wealthy landholder from Ishvar and Om’s home village involved in maintaining the caste status quo and associated with political power moves.