Muhurat Trading 2026: Date, Time, and How It Works
Blog by Aliceblue News Desk
03 November 2026
9 minutes
Diwali evening, the diyas are lit, and a cousin asks, “Have you bought your Muhurat shares yet?” If you’ve never traded, that question can make you feel like you missed a rule.
You haven’t. Muhurat trading 2026 is a special trading session that NSE and BSE hold on Diwali Laxmi Pujan, this year on Sunday, 8 November. Normal trading runs from 2:20 pm to 3:30 pm. You don’t have to join, but if you do, your trade is a real one and settles like any other.
Table of Contents
Quick Answer
Muhurat trading 2026 takes place on Sunday, 8 November, from 2:20 pm. Stocks in the closing auction session (CAS) trade until 3:15 pm, and all others until 3:30 pm. Pre-open starts at 2:05 pm. It marks the start of Samvat 2083. Every trade is real and carries normal settlement obligations.
What Is Muhurat Trading?
Muhurat trading is a short session on Diwali, held even though the market is otherwise closed. “Muhurat” means an auspicious time. The session marks the start of a new Hindu financial year, called Samvat. This year it’s Samvat 2083.
The custom comes from trading families who closed their old account books on Diwali and opened fresh ones. Buying a few shares at that hour was their way of starting the year well. BSE held its first session in 1957, and NSE joined in 1992.
Today, most people who take part are long-term investors making a small, symbolic buy. The price, though, is the real market price, and the shares settle in your demat account like any other purchase.
Muhurat Trading 2026 Date and Timings
The session is on Sunday, 8 November 2026. Regular trading is closed that day, and NSE and BSE open only for this window. The equity schedule is the same on both exchanges:
Stage | Time (IST) |
Block deal session | 1:50 pm – 2:05 pm |
Pre-open order entry | 2:05 pm – 2:15 pm |
Pre-open matching | 2:15 pm – 2:17 pm |
Buffer | 2:17 pm – 2:20 pm |
Normal trading, CAS stocks | 2:20 pm – 3:15 pm |
Normal trading, other stocks | 2:20 pm – 3:30 pm |
Closing auction order entry | 3:20 pm – 3:30 pm |
Closing auction matching | 3:30 pm – 3:35 pm |
Post-close session | 3:50 pm – 4:00 pm |
Other segments:
Segment | Time (IST) |
Equity F&O | 2:20 pm – 3:40 pm |
Currency and commodity derivatives | 2:20 pm – 3:30 pm |
CAS is new this year. It applies to stocks that have futures and options contracts. They stop normal trading at 3:15 pm, and a short auction sets their closing price. That’s why many large companies close earlier than smaller stocks.
The exchanges can revise timings, so check their circulars and your broker’s notice before the day. For other market holidays, see our trading holidays 2026 page.
How Does Muhurat Trading Work?
It works like a short version of a normal trading day:
- Pre-open starts at 2:05 pm. From 2:05 to 2:10 pm, you can place limit and market orders. From 2:10 to 2:15 pm, only limit orders are allowed. A limit order means you name the price you’re willing to pay or accept.
- The exchange sets the opening price. Between 2:15 and 2:17 pm, it matches the pre-open orders and decides each stock’s starting price.
- Normal trading opens at 2:20 pm. Buyers and sellers are matched as orders arrive.
- Closing auction for CAS stocks. At 3:15 pm, normal trading stops for these stocks. The closing price is set at the level where the most shares can trade.
- Settlement. NSE has said every Muhurat trade carries settlement obligations. Delivery trades settle in the normal T+1 cycle, counting exchange working days only.
Because Tuesday, 10 November is a market holiday for Diwali Balipratipada, settlement may take a day longer than you expect.wealthy+1
How to Place Your First Muhurat Order
You don’t need a special account. An active trading and demat account is enough.
- Check that your account is active and your funds are added.
- Decide the stock and quantity before the day.
- Log in by 2:00 pm so a slow login doesn’t cost you the pre-open.
- Place a limit order between 2:05 and 2:15 pm.
- Check the status. An order can fill fully, partly, or not at all.
If you don’t have an account yet, open your {Link: Alice Blue demat account page} before the weekend, not on Sunday afternoon.
Practical Example With Numbers
Divya, a beginner in Chennai, wants to start Samvat 2083 with a small purchase. She has already read about a large company that is indicated at ₹1,500 in pre-open. The price is made up for this example and isn’t a recommendation. She places a limit order for 4 shares at ₹1,500.
- Cost: 4 × ₹1,500 = ₹6,000, plus brokerage and charges.
- She holds for a year, and the price is ₹1,700: value is ₹6,800, a gain of ₹800 or about 13.3%.
- She sells the same day at ₹1,515: the gain is 4 × ₹15 = ₹60 before charges. Brokerage and taxes could eat most of it.
- The price falls to ₹1,440: her paper loss is 4 × ₹60 = ₹240.
The Muhurat hour made no difference to the outcome. The company’s performance over the following year did.
How Has the Market Done on Muhurat Day?
Muhurat sessions have often ended higher, but the gains are small. Here are the Nifty 50’s moves on Muhurat Day over the last ten years:
Year | Nifty close | Day’s change |
2016 | 8,625.70 | −0.14% |
2017 | 10,146.55 | −0.63% |
2018 | 10,598.40 | +0.65% |
2019 | 11,627.15 | +0.37% |
2020 | 12,780.25 | +0.47% |
2021 | 17,916.80 | +0.49% |
2022 | 17,730.75 | +0.88% |
2023 | 19,525.55 | +0.52% |
2024 | 24,304.35 | +0.41% |
2025 | 25,868.60 | +0.10% |
The Nifty and Sensex closed higher in 8 of these 10 sessions, and the best gain was under 1%. Last year the Sensex rose 62.97 points to 84,426.34, and the Nifty rose 25.45 points to 25,868.60. Some reports note that both indices have fallen more than 11% since that session, which shows a good Muhurat day doesn’t predict the year. Past results don’t guarantee future ones.
Advantages and Risks
Where it helps. It gives you a fixed date to make a first purchase you’ve planned. It’s also a good time to review your holdings against your goals. And you get to see how a pre-open session works, which is useful practice for regular days.
Where it can hurt.
- The window is about 70 minutes, so prices can jump and the gap between buying and selling prices can widen.
- Festive mood pushes some people to buy without research.
- Intraday trades and MTF (Margin Trading Facility, where your broker funds part of the purchase) are allowed, but a short window leaves little room to fix a loss.
- Open intraday positions have to be closed before the session ends. If you forget, your broker will close them, often at a price you wouldn’t have chosen.
- Square-off times vary by broker. One broker lists 3:10 pm for CAS cash stocks and 3:25 pm for F&O and other stocks, so check your own broker’s notice.
- Charges such as STT, exchange fees, GST, and stamp duty still apply.
How to Pick a Stock
Nobody can tell you the “best” Muhurat stock, and anyone who does is guessing. These checks are safer:
- Pick a company whose business you can explain in one sentence.
- Look at how actively it trades. High-volume stocks usually have narrower price gaps.
- Read its last few quarterly results.
- Decide your holding time before you buy.
- Spend only the amount you won’t need for years.
Brokerages publish Diwali stock lists each year. Treat them as reading material and not as instructions.
Tips for Beginners
- Write down your stock, quantity, and price the day before.
- Set a limit price. If the stock opens above it, your order simply won’t go through.
- Keep the amount small enough that a 10% fall wouldn’t bother you.
- Skip MTF and intraday on your first try.
- If you do trade intraday, know your broker’s square-off time.
- It’s fine to watch the first session and trade next year.
Muhurat Trading vs Regular Trading
Point | Muhurat trading | Regular trading |
When | Once a year, on Diwali Laxmi Pujan | Weekdays, excluding holidays |
Equity start | 2:20 pm (2026) | 9:15 am |
Time available | About 70 minutes | About 6 hours |
Volumes | Can be thin or uneven | Usually steadier |
Settlement | Applies, T+1 | Applies, T+1 |
Returns | Not guaranteed | Not guaranteed |
Common Mistakes
- Buying a stock because it’s Diwali. The date adds nothing to the company, so read about it first.
- Using a market order at pre-open. The opening price can surprise you, and festive buying can bunch up at the start. Use a limit order.
- Spending more than you planned.
- Taking leverage in a one-hour window.
- Leaving an intraday position open and hoping for the best.
- Forgetting the 10 November holiday when you expect shares or funds to arrive.
Who Should Use Muhurat Trading?
It suits long-term investors who want to begin the year with a planned purchase. Beginners who want a small first trade can also take part. Experienced intraday traders can use it if they keep positions modest.
It’s less suitable for anyone who can’t afford a loss, or who plans to borrow heavily for a short session. If you’re still learning, watching this year is a perfectly good choice.
Conclusion
Muhurat trading 2026 is a short Diwali session on Sunday, 8 November, with normal trading from 2:20 pm. The trades are real; charges and settlement apply, and past gains on this day have been small. If you join, pick the stock beforehand, use a limit order, and keep the amount modest. Treat it as a good day to start something you plan to hold, not as a shortcut to profit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Blog by Aliceblue News Desk
