In Nardipur, a rural village near Gandhinagar, the Forest of Peace ashram is quietly reshaping how India thinks about old age homes. Designed by Raasa Architects, the 16,000-square-foot space was never intended as an elder care facility, yet it has naturally evolved into a gathering hub for senior citizens.

Here, elderly villagers come daily for morning prayers, communal meals, evening aarti, and bhajans, before returning to their families. This model avoids the stigma of “sending elders away,” instead offering them companionship, purpose, and peace.

The design, anchored by rhythmic arches, a central courtyard, and serene prayer halls, balances aesthetics with practicality. The arches not only frame light and shadow but also create sheltered niches that birds now use as nesting spaces, reflecting harmony between people and nature.

Unlike institutional elder care, this ashram preserves autonomy and dignity while fostering social connection. As India’s elderly population rises sharply, projects like Forest of Peace present a culturally rooted blueprint, where architecture becomes a medium of care, not confinement.