The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Monday, 19 October 2026, announced the schedule for the annual Diwali Muhurat trading session, which will be held on Sunday, 8 November 2026, between 2:20 pm and 3:30 pm IST. The special one-hour window, a cherished tradition in Indian financial markets, will mark the beginning of Samvat 2083 — the new Hindu calendar year.

Session Schedule and Key Timings

The session will open with a pre-open order entry period from 2:05 pm to 2:15 pm, followed by order matching and trade confirmation until 2:17 pm. A short pre-open buffer will run until 2:20 pm, after which normal market trading begins. The continuous trading window will remain active until 3:30 pm for non-closing auction session (CAS) securities, while CAS securities will conclude trading at 3:15 pm.

The exchanges have also outlined separate windows for reference price calculation, closing auction activities, order matching, and post-close trading, maintaining the same structured sequence as a regular trading day.

Block Deals, IPOs and Special Windows

A block deal session has been scheduled from 1:50 pm to 2:05 pm. A special pre-open session for initial public offerings (IPOs) and relisted securities will run from 2:05 pm to 2:50 pm, with such stocks entering the normal market between 3:05 pm and 3:30 pm. The NSE has additionally confirmed that the call auction illiquid session will be conducted from 2:25 pm to 3:10 pm, and the trade modification cut-off time has been fixed at 4:15 pm.

Settlement and Trading Rules

Both exchanges clarified that order entry, modification, and cancellation will be available during the designated pre-open and closing auction periods, subject to standard rules applicable to market and limit orders. System-driven random closure mechanisms will be activated during the final minutes of key order-entry windows, consistent with regular market practice. Notably, the NSE confirmed that all trades executed during the Muhurat session will carry full settlement obligations, identical to those on a regular trading day — meaning there are no symbolic exemptions for this special window.

The Tradition Behind Muhurat Trading

Muhurat trading is a decades-old tradition in Indian equity markets, held annually on Diwali to coincide with the start of a new Vikram Samvat. This year's session will usher in Samvat 2083. Many retail investors and traders consider participation in the session auspicious, viewing it as a ritual gesture to invite prosperity and financial growth in the year ahead. The session consistently draws high symbolic participation even when market sentiment is subdued, underscoring its cultural resonance beyond pure trading interest.

With Diwali falling on a Sunday this year, the bourses have confirmed the session will proceed on that day, ensuring the tradition is observed without disruption to the regular weekly trading calendar.