Muhurat Trading 2026: Date, Timings, How It Works and What to Keep in Mind, Explained
Diwali Muhurat trading in 2026 will be held on Sunday, 8 November, NSE has confirmed. The exact session timings are yet to be notified. Here is everything you need to know: the date, past timings, how the one-hour session works, settlement rules and the mistakes to avoid.
Every Diwali, India's stock exchanges open for a special one-hour session called Muhurat trading, a tradition that marks the start of a new Hindu accounting year. In 2026, the session will be held on Sunday, 8 November, the day of Diwali Laxmi Pujan. The one detail investors are still waiting for is the exact timing.
The 60-second version
- Date: Sunday, 8 November 2026, confirmed by NSE.
- Timings: Not announced yet. NSE says they will be notified later.
- Length: Usually about one hour of normal trading, plus short pre-open and closing sessions.
- Real trades: Yes. Normal settlement, brokerage and taxes apply.
- Holidays around it: Monday 9 November is a normal trading day. Tuesday 10 November (Diwali Balipratipada) is a market holiday.
- New year: The session marks the start of Samvat 2083.
What NSE has confirmed so far
NSE listed the 2026 Muhurat session in its trading holidays circular NSE/CMTR/71775, dated 12 December 2025. Diwali Laxmi Pujan on 8 November is marked as a trading holiday, with a note that a Muhurat trading session will be held and that timings will be notified subsequently. BSE follows the same date.
In past years, NSE has published the timing circular roughly two to six weeks before Diwali. We will update this article as soon as it is out.
Past Muhurat trading timings
Timings change every year, which is why last year's schedule is not a safe guide. Here is what NSE's capital market segment followed in the last three years:
| Year and date | Pre-open session | Normal market | Closing session |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (Tue, 21 Oct) | 1:30 PM to 1:45 PM | 1:45 PM to 2:45 PM | 2:55 PM to 3:05 PM |
| 2024 (Fri, 1 Nov) | 5:45 PM to 6:00 PM | 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM | 7:10 PM to 7:20 PM |
| 2023 (Sun, 12 Nov) | 6:00 PM to 6:08 PM | 6:15 PM to 7:15 PM | 7:25 PM to 7:35 PM |
Source: NSE circulars NSE/CMTR/70319 (2025), NSE/CMTR/64628 (2024) and NSE/CMTR/59124 (2023).
Each year also included a short block deal window and a call auction session for illiquid stocks around the main session.
Notice the 2025 change: after years of evening sessions, the exchanges moved Muhurat trading to the afternoon in 2025. Whether 2026 stays in the afternoon or returns to the evening will only be clear from the new circular.
How Muhurat trading works
Muhurat means an auspicious time. For many trading families, especially in Gujarat and Maharashtra, Diwali marks the start of a new financial year, when new account books are opened after Laxmi Puja. The exchanges keep the tradition alive with a short live session.
- It is a regular trading session, just shorter. You can buy and sell shares through your broker as you normally would.
- The exchanges' circulars set out which segments are open. These have usually included equity, equity derivatives, currency derivatives and securities lending and borrowing. Commodity exchanges announce their own timings separately.
- Orders placed in the session are real. Delivery trades are settled, and intraday positions must be squared off by the end of the session as usual.
Settlement: when do you get your shares?
Muhurat trades create normal settlement obligations.
- In 2025, Muhurat trades were settled on the T+1 cycle, on 23 October 2025, as per NSE Clearing.
- In 2024 and 2023, settlement happened on the following Monday.
- For 2026, 8 November is a settlement holiday. NSE Clearing will publish the settlement schedule closer to the date. Since 10 November is also a holiday, check your broker's note on when shares and funds will be credited.
Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj: the 2026 Diwali calendar
| Day | Date |
|---|---|
| Dhanteras | Friday, 6 November 2026 |
| Naraka Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali) | Saturday, 7 November 2026 |
| Diwali (Laxmi Pujan) and Muhurat trading | Sunday, 8 November 2026 |
| Normal trading day | Monday, 9 November 2026 |
| Diwali Balipratipada (market holiday) | Tuesday, 10 November 2026 |
Puja muhurat timings vary by city and by panchang, so check a local panchang for your Laxmi Puja time.
6 things to keep in mind
- Wait for the official timings. Do not set alarms based on 2024 or 2025 schedules.
- Check your account in advance. Make sure your funds, margin and the segments you want to trade are active before the pre-open session.
- Use limit orders. Liquidity can be thin in a one-hour session. Market orders may get filled at worse prices than you expect.
- Do not add leverage because the day feels special. Losses in a Muhurat session are as real as on any other day.
- Ignore "guaranteed Muhurat picks". Stock tips forwarded on WhatsApp or Telegram, especially with promised returns, are a common route for scams.
- Keep it in proportion. Many investors make a small, symbolic purchase of a stock or fund they already planned to buy. One hour of trading does not predict how the year will go.
The bottom line
Muhurat trading 2026 is confirmed for Sunday, 8 November. The timings are pending, and given the shift to an afternoon slot in 2025, it is worth waiting for the official circular rather than assuming. Treat it as a celebration and a fresh start for Samvat 2083, not as a shortcut to quick profits.
This article is based on NSE circulars NSE/CMTR/71775, NSE/CMTR/70319, NSE/CMTR/64628 and NSE/CMTR/59124, NSE Clearing notices and the exchanges' 2026 holiday calendars, as of 17 October 2026. It is general information, not investment advice.
Frequently asked questions
›When is Muhurat trading in 2026?
Muhurat trading in 2026 will be held on Sunday, 8 November 2026, the day of Diwali Laxmi Pujan. NSE confirmed the date in its 2026 trading holidays circular (NSE/CMTR/71775, dated 12 December 2025).
›What are the Muhurat trading 2026 timings?
The exchanges have not yet announced the timings. NSE's circular says they will be notified later, usually through a separate circular a few weeks before Diwali. Do not rely on last year's timings: the session was held in the afternoon (1:45 PM to 2:45 PM) in 2025 but in the evening (6:00 PM to 7:00 PM) in 2024.
›Are Muhurat trades real trades?
Yes. Trades in the Muhurat session are real and create normal settlement obligations. Brokerage, taxes and charges apply as usual, and profits or losses are real.
›Is the stock market open on 9 and 10 November 2026?
Monday, 9 November 2026 is a normal trading day. Tuesday, 10 November 2026 (Diwali Balipratipada) is a stock market holiday, according to the exchanges' 2026 holiday calendar.
›Should I buy stocks in Muhurat trading?
Many investors make a small, symbolic purchase for good luck at the start of the new Samvat year. The session is short and trading volumes can be thin, so prices can move sharply. Use limit orders, avoid extra leverage, and make decisions based on your own plan, not on 'Muhurat picks' forwarded on social media.