Raju
Raju is the protagonist of the story. He was born in a fictional town named Malgudi, belongs to a lower-middle-class family, and lives with his mother after his father died when Raju was young. Raju was very smart and savvy in how he grew his father's shop, then moving into being a famous and respected tour guide known as "Railway Raju." He loves talking and traveling to new places; he is intuitive about his customers' needs and makes himself indispensable.
Raju begins having an affair with Rosie, the wife of his client Marco, and becomes obsessively in love with her. This love for her causes him to behave greedily and selfishly, even when he and Rosie are together in Marco's absence. He thinks of her as property and does care about anything but himself, though he dedicates his time to furthering her dancing career. His desire for money is absolute and he relishes the power he attains by being the famous dancer Nalini's (Rosie's changed name) manager and lover. This greed eventually leads to the demise of his relationship, time in jail, and exile from Malgudi.
It also results in his being mistaken as a holy man. In the privacy of his own mind, Raju still tends toward selfishness and impatience, but the more time he spends with the villagers, the more he grows in character. Arguably, by the end of the novel, as a result of his fasting and praying, he achieves enlightenment and truly does becomes a holy man.
Raju’s Mother
Raju’s mother is a traditional Indian woman. She is the only one who takes care of Raju when her husband dies. She is a positive woman who is generally friendly to everyone. She permits Rosie to live with them even after she realizes that Rosie is married and belongs to a low-class dancer caste. However, she is a woman who also gossips and worries about her son's choices, especially after he begins neglecting his finances. She asks her older brother, Raju's uncle, to come help but ends up going to live with him once Raju's intransigence asserts itself. Her relationship with Raju never really recovers; she remains sad and disappointed in what he's done to his life. She does visit him in jail.
Rosie
Rosie is the daughter of a dancer and therefore belongs to a lower caste. She did not marry Marco out of love but because of his social status. Though she is fond of dancing, she sets it aside when married to Marco because he does not approve. Their marriage is not very pleasant and Rosie begins to have an affair with Raju. When Marco finds out, he abandons her. She then moves in with Raju and his mother and, with Raju's urging, takes up her dancing again. With her meticulous work and Raju's business acumen, she becomes a household name (she actually changes her name to Nalini). She and Raju become immensely rich.
Rosie is a woman of independent thought and ambition. At times she appears to be mature, but at others she behaves like a child. She is prone to dreaming and does not care very much about material things. After Raju's entanglement with the law and her coming to terms with his real character, she decides to pay their debts and leave him. She lives alone, prosperous and successful.
Marco
Marco is Rosie's husband. He does not seem to like her very much unless she is being quiet and pliable, but when he married her he was clear on not having any caste expectations. He gives her what she wants most of the time but refuses to let her continue with dancing once they married. What drives him as a scholar is his interest in the history, culture, and art of South India. Raju is his guide to caves in the Malgudi area where he finds fodder for the book he is writing, but his time in Malgudi ends in a dramatic fashion when he finds out Rosie and Raju were having an affair. He refuses to have anything to do with Rosie and leaves town without her. At the end of the novel, he publishes his book to great acclaim but decides to trap Raju by sending a legal document that only Rosie can sign, knowing Raju will most likely forge it.
Velan
Velan is a faithful, fervent man who believes in Raju's holiness and spends a great deal of time with him. He encourages other villagers to visit the Swami and soon Raju is rarely ever alone again. Though Raju confesses to him that he is not indeed a holy man and has done many bad things in his life, Velan still chooses to revere him and believe Raju's fast will cure the drought. It is Velan's unwavering faith that gives Raju the power he needs to try the fast for real.
Velan's Sister
Velan's half-sister is a minor character but she plays a major role in Raju's life as a saint. It was she who makes Raju popular in the village by accepting the proposal of the groom that Velan chose for her. This transformation surprises Velan and confirms to him that Raju is a holy man. The sister spreads news of Raju's power throughout the village as well.
Gaffur
Gaffur is a chauffeur in Malgudi and friend of Raju's (at least until Raju alienates him by focusing everything on Rosie and begging Gaffur for money to jumpstart her dance career). He is a decent man with common sense and is wary of Raju's involvement with Rosie, knowing it will not end well.
Velan's Brother
A rather unintelligent and useless young man, his main job is to drive cattle and he rarely engages himself in other, more highbrow activities such as seeing the Swami. However, he comes to Raju when the village is embroiled in fighting during the famine. When he relays this information to Raju, Raju tells him to tell Velan and the others he will not eat until they stop fighting. When the brother relays the message, he implies that the Swami will not eat until the rains come, thus beginning (against his will and wishes) Raju's fasting.
Raju's Father
A friendly and loquacious man, he runs a small shop in Malgudi. He loves spending hours and hours talking about the townspeople's various affairs to the chagrin of his wife who wishes he would come home to eat and sleep. He is given proprietorship of a larger shop once the railway station is built, but turns it over to Raju because he misses conversing with his friends. He dies when Raju is a young man, leaving him with a decent bank account and half of the house.
Joseph
Joseph is the caretaker at Peak House whose modesty, efficiency, and surreptitiousness inure him to Marco. Joseph admires Marco but dislikes Rosie, thinking she is disruptive. He is very dedicated to his job and his clients.
Raju's Uncle
A tall, imperious man, he is the eldest brother in the family and manages all of the financial and interpersonal affairs. Wealthy and powerful, he doesn't often visit his sister but she calls on him to help knock sense into Raju. The uncle tries, but finds his nephew immature and intransigent. He focuses on ousting Rosie, but this does not work either. Finally, he returns home and brings his sister with him.
The Sait
The Sait is a former friend of Raju's who is also his creditor. Raju owes the Sait a great deal of money and his laissez-faire attitude about it earns him the Sait's ire. The Sait takes Raju to court and threatens to take the house, which Raju later sells.
Raju's Lawyer
A bona fide celebrity, Raju books him for his forgery trial even though he is very expensive. The lawyer is savvy at spinning his tales, and manages to get Raju only two years instead of seven.
Malone
A pink-cheeked American documentary filmmaker, Malone seeks to film Raju-as-holy-man in his fasting and praying rituals. He is energetic, exuberant, and dedicated to his craft.
Mani
Mani is Raju's secretary once he becomes rich from Rosie's dancing. Mani is kind and well-intentioned, but annoys Raju when he accidentally tells Rosie about Marco's book. He is the only person to visit Raju in jail but is flustered by his former employer's delight in prison life.
