Pune, Dec 4: – Pune came alive on the weekend of November 29 as Rootopia 2025: Paramparik Khel Utsav, presented by The Youth COSMO, welcomed over 650 visitors, children and their families, educators, as well as cultural enthusiasts, to an evening that brought India’s timeless play traditions back into everyday family life.
The festival, designed as a nature-first, intergenerational experience, invited attendees to step outdoors, engage with the soil, and rediscover real play through India’s traditional games, martial arts, folk music, and hands-on learning. With a surge of on-spot registrations and non-stop participation across every activity zone, Rootopia 2025 marked a landmark beginning for a growing movement committed to reconnecting youth with nature, heritage, and community wisdom.
“At Rootopia, we saw something profound; children, parents, and grandparents rediscovering the joy of play together. This is more than nostalgia; it is a reminder that our traditional games, movements, and folk rhythms carry deep naturalist intelligence. They build focus, patience, resilience, creativity, and belonging. When children touch the soil, balance stones, move like animals, or play with handmade toys, they reconnect with something essential – themselves, their culture, and the living world. Rootopia is just the beginning of bringing that wisdom back into childhood”, said Nidhi Bennur, Co-Founder, Director Impact & Outreach, The Youth COSMO.
From stone balancing and martial art demonstrations to traditional board games and toys, bamboo instruments and a high-energy drum circle finale, Rootopia 2025 delivered a rare, multi-sensory and nature-rooted celebration that resonated across generations.
Rootopia 2025 was inaugurated by Radha Shelat, mentor to emerging social enterprises and a pioneer of Pune’s tech sector. She spoke about her childhood in Varanasi, growing up by the riverside, where nature shaped her daily life and imagination, and emphasised the importance of nature-based learning for both children and adults. The evening was also graced by Arti Kirloskar, Founding Member and Convenor of Art & Culture at Pune International Centre and Convenor of the Kirloskar Vasundhara International Film Festival. She welcomed the children warmly and encouraged parents to take them outdoors more often.
An Evening Filled with Heritage, Movement, Rhythm & Pure Joy;
Stone Balancing by Gautam Vaishnav: The Festival’s Most-Loved Experience The stone balancing station saw a continuous stream of children eager to try their hand at this meditative yet playful art form. It became the most visited segment of the evening, and the very last to close as children joyfully attempted balance after balance.
Kalaripayattu with Nikhil Bollapragada: Movement Rooted in Tradition Nikhil’s live demonstration of Kalaripayattu’s animal movements filled the venue with excitement. Children and parents joined him, learning how ancient movement forms build strength, focus, and alignment.
Lathi-Kathi by Jnanaprabodhini: History Meets Skill The all-girls troupe delivered a powerful showcase, tracing the lineage of lathi-kathi to the era of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Their demonstration of swords, bamboo sticks, and daan patta highlighted the depth of traditional martial intelligence.
Traditional Games, Toys & Exhibits: A Hit Across Ages Heritage game stations stayed packed throughout the evening, with parents appreciating opportunities for screen-free play rooted in Indian knowledge systems. The older generation reminisced while exploring beautifully crafted toys in wood, brass, clay, and glass. The wooden toys and the newly introduced cloth-based games by The Youth COSMO received an overwhelming response, and the clay water whistle chirping like a bird was the clear favourite among younger children.
Folk Instruments & Sound Journeys with Yudi Yudi and his Pune Drum Circle’s folk instrument corner, featuring gourds, bamboo flutes, drums, and natural percussion, drew curious learners who explored how each natural material creates its unique sound signature. The evening concluded with a high-energy drum circle, bringing children, parents, and grandparents together in rhythm, clapping, and collective joy.
The response to Rootopia 2025 was overwhelmingly positive, with many families discovering The Youth COSMO for the first time and expressing interest in future initiatives. Parents appreciated seeing their children immersed in screen-free, heritage-rich play, while grandparents delighted in the revival of familiar games and toys from their youth bringing three generations together in a shared cultural experience. Rootopia 2025 was supported by Two Brothers Organic Farms, Pune International Centre (Venue Partner) and INTACH Pune (Heritage Partner).
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