A Banyan Tree, A Playground, And A 'Pod for Happiness' That Reimagined Village Life

New Delhi: Childhood is the heart of this story. In a village near Baramati, Maharashtra, a small space is created for children - a space to play, learn, and gather. The idea wasn't just a play area, it was a way to celebrate childhood. The school grounds already carried a proud identity: a wide playground bordered by an avenue of trees, where villagers strolled in the evening and children played beneath their shade. At the heart of this playground stood a banyan tree, its roots and branches weaving through the daily lives of everyone who passed by. 

It was here that the Pod for Happiness found its space.

The project led by architects Yatindra Patil and Vijay Kharad of Craft Narrative, is a redefinition of how minimal interventions can catalyse social transformation. The Pod for Happiness is a multi-utility arc, crafted from a palette of ferrocement, leftover terrazzo, and repurposed materials.

Ar. Yatindra Patil describes Pod for Happiness as an open ended world, where play turns into imagination, exploration& joyful learning. He further says, 

In today's era of touchscreens, such tactile spaces where children can touch, feel, climb and explore are essential to connect them back to the real roots.

Children climb up one end and slide down the other, pausing on a raised bridge that offers views of the school and the temple beyond.

During school hours, the Pod becomes an outdoor classroom - the circular seating hosting storytelling, painting, and clay modelling. After the bell rings, its roles multiply: a community hub for evening conversations, a library corner, and a stage for cultural performances.

In time, it even becomes a space for prayers and rituals, where women gather beneath the banyan's timeless shade.

Pod of Happiness treats play as a thread that weaves the village together.

What makes this project profoundly affecting is its fidelity to childhood as central to village life. The Pod doesn't just keep children safe, it prioritises the rhythm of their days - their play, their stories, their sketches, and their shared songs.

Ar. Vijay Kharade and Ar. Yatindra Patil, graduates of Pune's architectural landscapes, bring a practice that is intent on kindness and a deep love for nature. Their studio, founded in 2019, positions design as a think tank for questions - how spaces can foster belonging, how simple interventions can yield profound social ripples.

Pod for Happiness is more than a playful shelter. It is a living example of prioritising childhood as a communal virtue, a reminder that happiness can be designed - one shade, one curve, one raised platform at a time.

Craft Narrative shows a humble but powerful idea: happiness grows where children are seen, heard, and included. The village has learnt to measure its progress not by grand milestones, but by the daily, joyful rituals of its children.