Amritara The Samagam: A New Riverside Retreat Now Open in Varanasi

Varanasi doesn't need introduction. The oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, the Ganga moving through it with the specific purpose. The river has been part of Varanasi for thousands of years. Along the ghats on its western bank, life starts before sunrise and carries on late into the night, with prayers, rituals, conversations and everyday moments all happening side by side.

What Varanasi has needed, and what has now arrived, is accommodation that lives up to the destination. Amritara The Samagam is a new property in Varanasi, just next to the river, and the location is one of the major parts of making the stay more special for the guests.

Where It Sits

"Samagam" means confluence, the meeting of rivers, the meeting of traditions, and the way different parts of life come together in Varanasi. The property sits right on the Ganga, in a part of Varanasi where the river, the ghats, and the old lanes behind them all come together. 

The dawn aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat is within reach. The narrow lanes around the Vishwanath temple are accessible on foot. The river is visible from the property in a way that changes the experience of being in Varanasi, not just a glimpse from a corridor window but present, moving, and the beautiful green and silver that the Ganga produces at different hours of the day.

What the Stay Provides

Amritara properties are designed around the places they call home. The Samagam carries this approach to Varanasi, with rooms that open towards the river, while the architecture feels connected to the character and rhythm of the city. 

This new hotel in Varanasi brings Amritara's wellness philosophy to a city that has been a center of Ayurvedic and yogic tradition for centuries. The yoga and meditation sessions at the property are not an amenity addition; they are the natural extension of what Varanasi has always been, delivered from a base that sits on the river rather than near it. with therapies designed to help you relax and recharge during your stay. 

The dining reflects the Banarasi food culture that the city's cuisine has built across centuries. The regional food, the thandai, the malaiyo in season, and the specific preparations that belong to the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. For the international guest, the range extends to cover the broader palette without losing the regional specialty. This makes the city different from any other place.

What's Around It

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple: One of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples in India, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple is the main reason many pilgrims come to Varanasi. The new corridor has made the approach easier, while the spiritual energy of the place remains the same. Also, from our property, it's within easy reach without needing a car.

The Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat every evening: A ceremony that can make an entire crowd go quiet as the priests, fire, bells and flowers come together to show devotion to the river. Walking there from The Samagam, rather than arriving as part of a tour group, gives you a very different way to experience it. 

Sarnath is 10 kilometres from the old city: Sarnath is where the Buddha gave his first sermon after attaining enlightenment. You can explore the Dhamek Stupa, see the Ashoka Pillar, and visit the archaeological museum, home to the Lion Capital that later became India's national emblem. Spend a morning here and an afternoon by the ghats, and you've experienced two of the most important places in Asian religious history, all together. 

The Banaras Hindu University campus, one of the largest in Asia, and the Vishwanath Temple within it, and the Bharat Kala Bhavan museum with its extraordinary collection of textiles and miniature paintings, add to the academic and artistic heritage of the city to the pilgrimage and cultural itinerary.

Why This Matters

A new property in Varanasi that opens on the Ganga, carries Amritara's wellness tradition, serves the regional food culture, and sits within walking distance of the city's most significant sites is not simply another hotel opening. 

It's the accommodation that Varanasi's returning visitors will love. The ones who have stayed in the guesthouses or the hotels that are distant from the city, who always wished they could live closer to the river, got an answer. Amritara The Samagam is that property. The city it sits in has been receiving travelers for three thousand years. Now, the retreat has arrived to fulfill the wishes of those visitors.