Photography: Janvi Thakkar (Wabi Sabi Studio)

Located in the heart of Varanasi, Kalga Banaras is a homage to the city's rich heritage of silk weaving, crafts, and cultural depth. The showroom is hand-sculpted with organic curves in collaboration with local masons who, despite having no prior experience in natural building techniques, were trained through hands-on learning during the process.

Hand-crafted with mud, through wattle and daub, cob construction, and finished with mud-dung and lime plasters, the soft, curved walls embody the rhythm of hands working with earth, a dance between artisan and material.

By incorporating endangered crafts such as hand-turned wooden lacquerware, metal repoussée, the showroom not only preserves these fading traditions but also invites a deeply tactile engagement with the space and evokes the essence of Varanasi’s artisanal heritage.

This warm space makes shopping a sensory experience rather than a transaction.

More than just a store, Kalga Banaras stands as a testament to how design can honor the past while shaping a conscious and beautiful future, driven by care for the local community, the planet, and the craftsmen who poured their love into every detail.