How Navratri Became a Social Media Contest Without Us Realising

Navratri has always been more than a festival—it’s a cultural phenomenon that brings people together through music, dance, devotion, and colors. Traditionally, it was celebrated in temples, courtyards, and community halls where families gathered to pray and dance Garba or Dandiya till midnight. But in the last decade, Navratri has found another vibrant stage, social media. From Instagram reels showcasing trending Garba steps to Twitter (now X) buzzing with Navratri hashtags, the festival today is as much digital as it is physical. Social media doesn’t just reflect the celebrations anymore, it actively shapes how people experience Navratri.

One of the most striking changes is how religious rituals and cultural events are streamed online. Temples across India, especially in Gujarat and Maharashtra, now broadcast live aarti, Durga puja, and Garba nights on Facebook Live, YouTube, and Instagram.
For many devotees living away from home, this digital mandap is a blessing. A Gujarati student in London or a Bengali family in Toronto can still connect to their roots in real time, joining virtual prayers and singing along from thousands of miles away. What once required physical presence is now accessible with just a smartphone.
If you scroll through Instagram during Navratri, you’ll quickly realize that it doubles up as the festival’s fashion runway. Influencers, designers, and even everyday college students showcase their traditional looks, turning the nine nights into a global style showcase.

• Hashtags like #NavratriOOTD and #GarbaNights trend every year.
• Designers use Instagram to promote fusion wear, like mirror-work jackets with jeans or lehenga paired with sneakers.
• Tutorials on how to drape dupattas or create colorful eye makeup for Navratri rack up millions of views.

This digital spotlight has also boosted small businesses. Artisans selling hand-embroidered chaniya cholis or oxidized jewelry can directly reach buyers via Instagram shops or Facebook groups. For many local designers, social media is no less than a lifeline.


Dance is the soul of Navratri, and platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok (where available) have taken Garba to new heights. In fact, many youngsters learn their Garba moves not in community halls, but from 15-second videos online.
Choreographers upload step-by-step Garba tutorials, while dance challenges spark viral trends. Last year, the remix of a traditional Garba song trended globally, with people from Korea to California posting reels in Navratri attire.
This digital sharing has two big impacts:
1. Preservation of Culture: Younger generations stay connected with folk dance traditions.
2. Globalization: Non-Indians are also joining the trend, turning Navratri into a soft-power cultural export.


For those who take Garba seriously, YouTube has become a 24/7 guru. Channels dedicated to traditional dance forms upload hour-long Garba tutorials with breakdowns of claps, steps, and spins. Entire orchestras live-stream performances, and playlists of Navratri bhajans attract millions of plays.
Interestingly, many young couples preparing for “couple Garba competitions” rely more on YouTube choreographies than local teachers. This online resource library ensures that even in areas where Navratri isn’t widely celebrated, the art form thrives.


While Instagram shows the fashion and dance, Twitter (now X) remains the space where conversations unfold. Each year, hashtags like #HappyNavratri, #Navratri2025, or #GarbaNights dominate trending charts.
People post everything—from prayers for goddess Durga to witty memes about dancing till 4 a.m. Political leaders, Bollywood stars, and cricketers also join in, posting festive wishes that instantly go viral.
This social media chatter has created a sense of collective participation. Even if someone isn’t attending Garba in person, scrolling through Twitter updates gives them a front-row seat to the celebrations.

Before social media, Navratri was mostly celebrated with family or within local societies. Today, WhatsApp groups, Facebook communities, and Telegram channels bring people together to coordinate outfits, exchange recipes, or share Garba videos.
For NRIs, these digital groups are particularly significant. Entire virtual communities celebrate Navratri online—planning synchronized aartis over Zoom or organizing “virtual Garba” sessions where participants dance in their own homes while music plays live on a shared link.


Social media has also injected humor and pop culture into the festival. Every year, memes flood Instagram and Twitter—from jokes about how exhausting nine nights of Garba can be to witty takes on “Garba crushes.”
Brands have jumped in too. Beverage companies create memes about staying hydrated during Dandiya nights, while fashion apps run contests encouraging users to upload their Navratri looks. This blending of traditional culture with modern digital humor makes the festival more relatable to Gen Z.

Bollywood stars like Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, or even regional film actors often post Navratri wishes or photos in festive attire. These posts quickly inspire fans to replicate looks or buy similar outfits.
Influencers, meanwhile, take things a step further. Beauty bloggers post Navratri makeup tutorials, fitness influencers suggest “how to stay energetic for nine nights of Garba,” and travel influencers vlog their visits to Navratri hotspots like Vadodara and Ahmedabad.
This celebrity-influencer ecosystem ensures that Navratri is not just a religious or cultural event—it’s a content festival that thrives online.

With so much digital activity, brands see Navratri as a golden marketing window. E-commerce platforms push festive sales, restaurants promote special Navratri thalis with online ads, and music apps curate “Garba playlists.”
For businesses, social media campaigns during Navratri are a way to connect emotionally with customers. A jewelry brand may launch an ad showing a young woman dancing Garba in her grandmother’s necklace, blending tradition with aspiration.
The digital buzz drives sales, but it also adds a new commercial dimension to the festival.

While the role of social media is largely positive, it does come with challenges.

• Over-commercialization: Sometimes the cultural and spiritual depth of Navratri gets overshadowed by fashion and promotions.
• Exclusivity: Online trends often focus on urban celebrations, sidelining smaller towns or traditional forms.
• Addiction to Validation: The rush to post “perfect” Navratri reels or pictures sometimes makes people more focused on social media likes than actual enjoyment.

These concerns highlight the need to balance real celebrations with digital showcases.


Looking ahead, social media will only deepen its role. Virtual reality Garba events, AI-generated dance tutorials, and digital puja platforms are already being tested. Imagine wearing VR headsets and dancing in a virtual stadium alongside thousands worldwide—all while staying in your living room.
But the essence will remain the same: Navratri as a festival of energy, devotion, and togetherness. Social media will simply be the amplifier, making celebrations more colorful, accessible, and global than ever before.


Navratri today is a fascinating blend of rituals, reels, and retweets. Social media has not replaced traditional celebrations—it has reimagined them. A grandmother may still light her diya at home, but her granddaughter will likely post a story of it with the caption, “Shubh Navratri .”
In this way, social media acts as the bridge—connecting the old with the new, the local with the global, and the personal with the digital. Navratri has always been about light, color, and rhythm. With social media in the mix, those elements now shine brighter and travel farther than ever before.