The significance of Baba

Baba as the novel states was born mentally disabled and verbally uncommunicative. Bearing the fact he was unintelligible, Baba's role was what made him significant. Unlike his siblings, he (Baba) represented a figure non-changing just like Old Delhi. This is seen in the first chapter of the book when Tara returns home in the first chapter and sees him playing with his pebbles and listening to his gramophone. He is also Bim's excuse for not changing.