What makes for an interesting place to stay at?  For me, a place works well when the interiors are in sync with the feel that the city wants to convey. In Benares this place is the Ganges view.

Built on the banks of the river Ganges on Assi ghat,  this family home was revamped into the Hotel Ganges View in 1990. Coming from a family of scholars keenly interested in art and literature, the owner Shashank Singh is artist himself(specialized in painting and print making) and is still associated with the Benares University.

The interiors are extremely tastefully done while simplicity resonates through every nook. The walls and niches are filled with paintings, masks and statues from Varanasi. There is art from other parts of North India as well but Shashank is very keen on promoting art from Varanasi.

Aspects of Benares, a lecture series, was started by him in 1999 to re-interpret the culture of the city, its many diverse shades and traditions. His hotel is home to many artists and thinkers like Devika Daulat-Singh, Raghu Rai and Arundhati Roy etc. Shashank Singh, an extremely soft spoken man sat with me and as we spoke about the Ram Lila masks that adorn his walls, he told me about how every year he tries to redecorate the interiors to bring in a different aspect of art into his home/hotel.

With impeccable service and absolutely invisible waiters this place is a haven for peace and quiet. The Indian vegetarian food made without garlic and onions is very home-style and full of subtle tastes. I would highly recommend the gooseberry curry and the orange juice with ginger. A couple of artists sit on balconies and paint while scholars from Fulbright have a music concert that is arranged for them in the hotel.

With the 2 dachshunds sitting at my feet, overlooking the Ganges and sipping my masala tea( yes, we still do have our masala tea) I realize that for Shashank Singh his hotel is his canvas.