The Ashram-dweller

Abstract

In South Africa the founding of the Phoenix Settlement and Tolstoy Farm were not primarily inspired by religious concerns. Those communes were started basically for economic reasons. They first looked after the publication of Indian Opinion, and later cared for the Satyagraha workers and their families. Although religion did play some part, it was not a major one. Moreover, both institutions housed quite a diversity of people, some of whom were very transient.¹