Tagore worked to revive Indian village society for 50 years, from 1891 to 1941. I first heard of his work ten years ago when I worked on the Elmhirst Papers in the Dartington Archive. I recognised Tagore’s rural reconstruction projects, and those of Elmhirst who followed his example, as similar to permaculture: permanent agriculture and permanent culture. As part of this collection of essays by Tagore and essays about him, I plan to include essays which make a connection between Tagore’s rural reconstruction and permaculture today.

1. Marjorie Hessell Tiltman on Dartington Hall

2. ‘Permaculture and Politics’ – see http://permacultureambassadors.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/permaculture-and-politics.html