The Mysterious Beginnings of Rummy Baba Rummy Baba's beginnings are as enigmatic as the man himself, leaving him a mysterious figure. He appeared in the early 20th century, when India was going through all the gamemajor social and political transformations, according to historical accounts. According to some accounts, he lived in northern India and amassed wisdom & spiritual insights by wandering through villages. It is thought that his name, "Rummy," comes from the word "rum," which denotes a state of ecstasy or intoxication and alludes to the supposedly transcendent experiences he enabled for his followers.