Condom Bar in Chandigarh

Interiors decorated with real condoms, beer mugs in the condom shape, staff dresses with condom prints… a bar cum discotheque that opens in Chandigarh will be like none other in India.

Billed as the country’s first “condom bar”, it aims to make people, especially youngsters, aware of AIDS and the need for safe sex.

As decorations and logos, and also sitting around in bowls free to be pocketed by customers, the condom theme is running wild. Why? Because:

Condoms must be seen as friends, not some embarrassing necessity that no-one wants to talk about.

And that is not all. The bar will make available free condoms as well as priced ones available to clients. It will even give condoms in lieu of loose change.

The unique bar, located at the beautiful Kalagram complex on the busy Chandigarh-Panchkula highway, has real condoms dotting the wall that stack liquor bottles. Besides having souvenirs like cups, T-shirts and caps highlighting the use of condoms and safe sex, the bar even has a counter that offers free condoms.

According to the youths who have started frequenting the place, the placemats on the tables dole out useful advice on safe sex.

“Enjoy safely,” says one, while another suggests: “Don’t just get on. Get it on! Protect yourself, protect others.”

At the counter, instead of small change against bill payments, customers are offered packs of condoms or a choice of other souvenirs like mugs, T-shirts or caps — all bearing the condom logo.

Besides the interiors, the bar has condom-shaped beer mugs, and staff uniforms have condom prints.

The bar has been set up by the semi-government Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation (CITCO) in a gesture towards showing its commitment to a social cause.

Curiously, it’s a government-sponsored tourism project, Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development group pays the bills, so it kinda sounds like not only do they want to promote safe sex amongst locals, they want to pull in a few tourists with the lure of some free rubber. Get in while they last!