Muhurat Trading 2026: Date, time, history & significance

Key takeaways:

• In 2026, the Muhurat trading session will be held on Sunday, November 8, 2026, on the day of Diwali Laxmi Pujan and will mark the start of the new Samvat year 2083.
• The equity market will have a Muhurat trading session from 2:20 PM to 3:30 PM, after a pre-open session from 2:05 PM to 2:20 PM.
• The Futures & Options segment will have a Muhurat trading session from 2:20 PM to 3:40 PM, while commodity derivatives on MCX will run from 2:20 PM to 3:30 PM.
• All trades executed during the Muhurat trading session will result in settlement obligations.
• The tradition of Muhurat Trading was formally initiated by the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in 1957 and adopted by the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in 1992.

With the festive season just around the corner, Indian financial markets are preparing for one of their most cherished annual traditions: Diwali Muhurat Trading. While stock and commodity exchanges normally remain closed on Sundays and public holidays, the Indian exchanges will have a special Muhurat trading window on the day of Diwali Laxmi Pujan.

According to official circulars issued by the Indian stock exchanges, the Muhurat Trading session in 2026 will be held on Sunday, November 8, 2026, to usher in Vikram Samvat 2083. This year’s Muhurat Trading session will be held from 2:20 PM to 3:30/3:40 PM. Let's take a closer look at the date, timings, history and significance of Muhurat Trading.

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What is Muhurat trading?

"Muhurat" means an auspicious time, and the session runs for a short window of about an hour rather than a full trading day.

The session is not a ceremonial event. It is a live trading session in which orders are matched on the exchange, and all trades executed in it result in settlement obligations. Many investors use this occasion to make a small, symbolic purchase of shares, often in a stock they plan to hold for the long term, while brokers and business owners perform Lakshmi Pujan and open new account books for the year.

Significance of Muhurat trading

In Hindu tradition, "Muhurat" refers to an auspicious time, and Diwali, the day on which this session is held, is associated with the worship of Goddess Lakshmi and the pursuit of prosperity.

Business communities have traditionally closed their old account books and opened new ones on this day, and many traders and investors perform Lakshmi Pujan before trading. The session also marks the beginning of the new Samvat, the Hindu financial year, which is Samvat 2083 this year.

For investors, the session is largely symbolic. Many make a small purchase of shares, often in a company they plan to hold for the long term, as a good-luck gesture (shagun) for the year ahead, and the session is also seen as an early read of market sentiment at the start of the new financial year.

History of Muhurat trading

India is the only major stock market globally that opens on a festival holiday for a dedicated ceremonial trading session. Here is the institutional history of Muhurat Trading, which spans nearly seven decades:

• 1957 - Beginning on the BSE: The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Asia’s oldest stock exchange, formally institutionalised the first Diwali Muhurat Trading session in 1957.
• 1992 - Adoption by the NSE: Following its establishment, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) adopted the Muhurat Trading tradition in 1992, bringing the ceremonial session into the era of nationwide screen-based electronic trading.
• 2025 to 2026 - Shift of the session from evening to afternoon: Historically, the Muhurat Trading session used to be conducted in the evening between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM. However, the exchanges shifted the session to the afternoon in 2025 (1:45 PM - 2:45 PM) and continued the afternoon session in 2026 (2:20 PM - 3:30 PM).

Muhurat trading 2026 date and timings - November 8, 2026

In 2026, Muhurat trading will be held on Sunday, November 8, 2026, on the occasion of Diwali Laxmi Pujan, and the trading timings for equities will be from 2:20 PM to 3:30 PM. Here is the detailed schedule for the 2026 Muhurat Trading Session:

Note: For IPOs and relisted securities, the Special Pre-Open Session will run from 2:05 PM to 2:50 PM, with random closure during the last 10 minutes. It will be followed by normal trading in these securities from 3:05 PM to 3:30 PM. The Call Auction for illiquid securities will run from 2:25 PM to 3:10 PM, with random closure during the last minute.

Here are the segment-wise timings:

Diwali week 2026 market schedule & settlement rules

Because Diwali Laxmi Pujan falls on a Sunday this year and Diwali-Balipratipada falls on a Tuesday, both the trading schedule and the settlement cycle for the week require extra attention. As per exchange circulars, all trades executed during the Sunday Muhurat Trading session will carry full legal settlement obligations, just like any regular trading day.

Muhurat Trading session performance in recent years

The Sensex and the Nifty 50 closed higher in each of the last five Muhurat trading sessions, from 2021 to 2025, with gains of less than 1% each time. Here is how the two indices performed on Muhurat day:

Wrap up

Muhurat Trading is a decades-long Indian market tradition that combines festive sentiment with an hour-long live trading session. It is held every year by Indian stock exchanges on Diwali Laxmi Pujan day to mark the beginning of the new Samvat year and give investors an opportunity to participate in the financial markets during an auspicious window. In 2026, this session will take place on Sunday, November 8, with the trading session scheduled to run from 2:20 PM to 3:30/3:40 PM.

Most investors view this session as a ceremonial start to the new Samvat year. Therefore, the best approach during the Muhurat Trading session is to treat it with the same discipline as any other trading session and avoid letting the occasion drive impulsive decisions.