All About Tolstoy Farm, The Ashram Initiated By Gandhi During His South African Movement

Tolstoy Farm

[{"selector":"#anim-2c9cc958-0557-4e2c-8fde-1e6045111cf4 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-23.947368262966275%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] Tolstoy Farm was founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1910 during his time in South Africa as part of his campaign against racial discrimination. Credits: Wikimedia Commons

Leo Tolstoy

[{"selector":"#anim-bb117097-05c4-4a79-a7c1-113e898ed1b1 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-9.821428327626556%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] Named after the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, the farm embodied principles of self-sufficiency, communal living, and non-violence. Credits: Wikimedia Commons

Satyagraha Movement

[{"selector":"#anim-f4914964-5608-4ecf-9d2f-a9320b7a7c5b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-28.90624987200394%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] It served as a hub for Gandhi’s Satyagraha movement, teaching residents the values of simple living and ethical conduct. Credits: Wikimedia Commons

Communal Lifestyle

[{"selector":"#anim-c8053217-ef7a-4a1d-a6f7-3d627b59d0b5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-31.156249885656855%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] Located near Johannesburg, Tolstoy Farm housed Indian families, providing them with education and a communal lifestyle away from the oppressive conditions of urban South Africa. Credits: Flickr

Own Labour

[{"selector":"#anim-a7332abe-9af4-4481-9487-d7bc3e029e24 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-7.67116808485883%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] Residents cultivated their own food, which taught them to depend on their own labour and minimise material desires. Credits: Wikimedia Commons

Training Ground

[{"selector":"#anim-d9fe978e-fee7-48e6-ae54-b8b8bfc2fed1 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-64.68187425824156%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] Gandhi used the farm as a training ground for the philosophy of Satyagraha, emphasising the importance of truth and non-violent resistance. Credits: Wikimedia Commons

Communal Harmony

[{"selector":"#anim-497e2e04-57c1-4abe-a347-b934522385cd [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(13.261973652256504%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] It brought together people of different backgrounds, fostering unity and communal harmony against racial injustice. Credits: Pexels

Pioneering Experiment

[{"selector":"#anim-5e185991-4705-4496-94b5-069a37226c8c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-27.134146202714298%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] Tolstoy Farm represented a pioneering experiment in community living, laying the foundation for Gandhi’s later ashrams in India. Credits: Wikimedia Commons

[{"selector":"#anim-3e23c28a-ed39-484c-91da-610abe5ed26f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-15.546874790939775%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] Have you ever visited Tolstoy Farm? Credits: Wikimedia Commons