Celebrating the spirit of Swami Vivekananda Jayanti, Pustak Ghar at Woods at Sasan nurtures young minds by fostering a love for reading, knowledge, and conscious living amid nature.
Launched Pustak Ghar, a community-driven reading and literacy initiative across villages in the Sasan Gir–Somnath region of Gujarat.
Pustak Ghar is a mini-library initiative inspired by the founder’s love for books, aimed at making reading accessible within rural communities. Donated books are placed in shared book spaces across villages where livelihoods are primarily rooted in agriculture and animal husbandry. With the establishment of shared book houses within village clusters, the initiative creates easy access to reading material for families, children, and young adults in rural communities.
Open once a week at community-decided timings, villagers can borrow and return books with ease. Managed by a community head, the books are catalogued and rotated every three months to keep the collection dynamic. To date, Woods at Sasan has established 27 Pustak Ghars across 13 villages.
Rooted in the belief that access to knowledge can quietly transform lives, Pustak Ghar operates through a simple and sustainable model where books donated by guests and well-wishers are housed in community-managed reading spaces that open weekly at mutually agreed times. Currently active across 13 villages, the initiative has benefited over 206 community members, with more than 2,543 books donated to date. Supported by guest contributions amounting to ₹1.32 lakh, Pustak Ghar has emerged as a meaningful initiative that fosters learning, shared dialogue, and long-term community empowerment.
“We strongly believe that true hospitality extends beyond the boundaries of our property,” said Maulik Bhagat, Founder of Woods at Sasan. “Pustak Ghar was born from a personal love for books and a deep belief that access to knowledge can quietly yet powerfully transform lives. Witnessing people—especially women and children—come together to read, exchange ideas, and grow as a community has been one of the most fulfilling outcomes of this journey. By the end of 2026, we aim to significantly expand the initiative by increasing the number of books in circulation and establishing more Pustak Ghars across neighbouring villages in the Sasan Gir bioregion that has placed its trust in us, further strengthening access to learning at the fundamental level.’’
Led by our Islander, Community Head, Mr. Vijay Shukla ji, who catalogues, rotates, and maintains the book collections every three months, the model ensures equitable access and long-term impact. In a landscape shaped by farming cycles and pastoral traditions, Pustak Ghar stands as a thoughtful example of how regenerative hospitality can nurture not just the environment, but minds, communities, and futures.
Building on this foundation, we plan to inaugurate 100 Pustak Ghars over the coming year across nearby villages around Sasan, expanding access to books, learning, and shared knowledge—further strengthening the social fabric of the region.
The biophilic retreat, Woods at Sasan, continues to support the growth of the Pustak Ghar initiative through guest contributions and donations. The brand also plans to host special gatherings in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru to further build momentum for the initiative and encourage greater participation, although timelines for these events are yet to be finalized.
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