Synopsis Communication and rural development is a social anthropological holistic study of the existing media of communication-traditional as well as modern-and of their role in rural development. A village Pothnal in Manvi Taluka, Raichur district, Karnataka was studied for more than a year during 1975-76. a re-study was made in 1988 in order to assess the nature of changes that have taken place in the village. Rural development which includes dissemination of ideas and technology in agriculture, health, hygiene, family welfare, etc., from sources outside as well as within the village has been studies through the communication approach and within the socio-economic and cultural context of the village. The author has put forth an integrated approach to rural development which takes into account components like technological, economic, socio-cultural and ecological. Being an inter-disciplinary area, it is likely to attract sociologists social workers, and rural management scientists, planners and administrators.