Do Condom and Contraceptive Sales During Navratri and Dandiya Nights Increase? The Curious Case of Navratri Festival and Apparent Bump in Sales of Condoms Go Viral Again

The festival of Navratri 2025 has begun on September 22, with Day 1 being Ghatasthapana, also known as Kalash Sthapana. The significant ritual symbolises the invocation of Goddess Durga, inviting her divine presence into the devotee’s home. Sharad Navratri is held in honour of the divine feminine. While forms of worship vary across India, each day of the nine-day festival is typically devoted to the worship of one form of the Navadurgas, the nine avatars of Goddess Durga. The festival also includes the rituals of garba and dandiya raas. In India, festive time is a lot for young romance. And so, during the Navratri season, when the busiest are often the gynaecologists and pharmacists. The apparent case of contraceptive and condom sales increase often takes over the headlines. Turns out, it is the serene autumn air of the Sharad Navratri season that makes the desi couples randier than usual.

Increase in Condom and Contraceptive Sales During Navratri

In India, where pre-marital sex is largely looked down upon and often a taboo in most parts of the country, including urban areas, festivals present both opportunity and access. The opportunities to mingle and socialise are plenty for the young people. For years, the cases of increase in the sales of condoms during Navratri have floated around almost like an urban legend. And the Navratri 2025 season was no different. A podcast video of Raj Shamani with the Managing Director of Mankind Pharma, Rajeev Juneja, has gone viral again. The old video resurfacing online captures the duo discussing the condom sales skyrocketing in Gujarat during the Navratri season.

Raj Shamani and Rajeev Juneja on Increase in Condom Sales During Navratri

A 2016 report by The Economic Times claimed that condom sales rose by 25 to 50 percent on average, particularly in pharmacies and chemists close to the Navratri dance venues. Condom manufacturers often release statistics supposedly to delve into the sociological phenomenon and ultimately make a marketing pitch for the respective brand. In the podcast interview with Shamani, earlier this year, Rajeev Juneja confirmed the viral claim, crediting the monsoon and festive atmosphere sparking romance between the young people.

Sexual relationships during Navratri, for the most part, are also extensions of already existing social and romantic bonds that perhaps didn't find the opportunity to express themselves. It is no wonder that parents go into a state of anxiety, worrying about the whereabouts of their young children amid the hormonally-charged festive season.

The sale spike isn’t limited to condoms. A 2017 India Today report highlighted a ThatsPersonal report that stated the sales of sexual wellness products, such as lubes and pleasure rings, increase significantly in Gujarat during Navratri. The surge is attributed to increased social interaction, leading to more intimate encounters and a higher demand for contraceptives and sex toys. Unprotected sex also adds to the increase in contraceptive pills.

Oddly, the Navratri festival celebrates the sattvik way of life, where observers avoid most things carnal, including sex. The cultural significance contradicts the reality of mingling with the opposite sex during the Garba nights and the spike of sexual activity during this season.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 22, 2025 12:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).