Many recent studies have assessed the prevalence and role of herpesviruses in the etiopathogenesis of periodontal diseases, which has led to the realization of intricate interactions between viruses and bacteria within periodontal pockets. It has also been shown that the occurrence of herpesviruses may vary depending upon the age of the patient and the race of the population studied. Thus, the present study aimed at detecting herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 (HSV 1 and 2), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in periodontal pockets of Indian patients with chronic and aggressive periodontitis. Subgingival plaque samples (n = 33) were collected from 19 randomly chosen chronic periodontitis and 14 aggressive periodontitis patients. Herpesviruses were detected using multiplex polymerase chain reaction technique. Chronic periodontitis patients revealed presence of HSV-1 in 19 (100%) samples, HSV-2 in 3 (15.7%), EBV in 15 (78.9%) and HCMV in 5 (26.31%) samples. Samples from aggressive periodontitis patients showed the presence of HSV-1 in 8 (57.14%), EBV in 4 (28.57%) and HCMV in 1 (7.14%), whereas HSV-2 was not detected in any specimen. In this population, herpesviruses were found more frequently in chronic periodontitis than in aggressive periodontitis patients and their prevalence may vary according to the age and race of the patient.