Women Going Places Together.
Banaras is difficult to explain in a sentence, and perhaps that is part of its appeal.
It is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, but it has never become a museum of itself. The Ganges still shapes the rhythm of the day, temples remain part of everyday life, Banarasi silk is still woven by skilled hands, food traditions survive in old neighbourhoods, and a short distance away, Sarnath recalls the place where the Buddha delivered his first sermon.
For women wanting to understand India beyond its monuments, Banaras is less a sightseeing trip and more an introduction to some of the ideas, rituals and crafts that have shaped Indian culture for centuries.
Meraki’s four-day Varanasi journey is designed to reveal those layers slowly.
The river is the natural starting point.
The journey opens with a private boat experience at dusk, watching the ghats come alive as lamps are lit and the Ganga Aarti unfolds along the riverfront.
The next morning, Banaras looks entirely different. Before sunrise, the city gathers at Assi Ghat for Subah-e-Banaras, with devotional music, Vedic chanting and morning rituals. A traditional boat ride follows as the first light reaches the ghats, accompanied by classical music.
Seeing the Ganges at both ends of the day gives you two versions of the same city: one ceremonial, the other wonderfully intimate.
Banaras needs to be walked.
Its narrow lanes connect temples, homes, markets and food stalls in a way that no drive-through city tour could ever explain.
A guided heritage walk leads through old Kashi to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, one of Hinduism’s most revered Shiva shrines. The journey also introduces another, less expected side of the city through one of its historic akharas, spaces where generations of wrestlers have trained within a tradition that combines discipline, physical culture and ritual.
And because culture is often best understood through appetite, there is also time for a food trail through old Banaras.
Consider it research, with considerably better snacks.
Banaras is deeply associated with Hindu spirituality, but its historical significance reaches much further.
At nearby Sarnath, Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon after enlightenment. Visiting the monasteries and Mulagandha Kuti Vihar, followed by meditation and chanting with monks, places another important chapter of Indian history within the same journey.
Few destinations allow you to move so naturally between different strands of India’s spiritual and cultural inheritance in a single day.
For many Indian women, the Banarasi saree needs little introduction.
But meeting the people behind it changes the relationship entirely.
At the Silk Weaver’s Colony, Meraki introduces travellers to weaving families and local artisans preserving the centuries-old tradition of Banarasi silk. You see how the fabric is created, hear the stories behind the craft and understand the extraordinary amount of skill hidden inside something many of us have worn, inherited or admired all our lives.
The experience continues with a home-hosted lunch with a local family, bringing the journey away from monuments and into everyday Banarasi life.
Because sometimes the best way to understand a city is to sit at someone’s table.
Banaras offers something different from the conventional women’s getaway.
It is not simply about relaxation, adventure or ticking another destination off a list. It connects you to culture in ways that feel surprisingly personal: through the river, the saree, the food, the music, faith and the rituals that have travelled through generations.
For an Indian woman, many of these traditions may already feel familiar. Banaras provides the opportunity to understand where some of them come from.
For an international traveller, it offers a much deeper introduction to India than a circuit of famous monuments ever could.
And because the journey combines spirituality with food, craftsmanship, history and local interaction, it never becomes one-dimensional.
Banaras can be intense: its lanes are busy, its rituals run to their own clock and its most meaningful experiences are often difficult to access without local knowledge.
That is where Meraki comes in.
The details are taken care of: local guides, river experiences, cultural visits, transfers and carefully selected stays. The aim is not to smooth away the complexity of Banaras, but to give you enough context and comfort to appreciate it.
Over four days, you move from the Ganges to old Kashi, from Sarnath to silk weavers, from temple rituals to a family dining table.
You see the Banaras everyone knows.
And then, slowly, you begin to meet the one behind it.
Come for the Ganges. Leave understanding a little more of India.
