Diwali Laxmi Pujan falls on a Sunday this year, and the exchanges open for one afternoon session. Muhurat trading 2026 is on Sunday 8 November, with the pre-open from 14:05 IST and normal trading from 14:20. NSE published the schedules on 19 October 2026 in NSE/CMTR/76941 (equities) and NSE/FAOP/76940 (F&O), and BSE in notices 20261019-9 and 20261019-10. If you remember Muhurat as an evening session, reset the alarm: 2025's session also ran in the afternoon (13:45 to 14:45 on 21 October 2025, as reported from NSE's 2025 circulars), and the sessions before that were held in the evening.
By tradition the session marks the start of the new Samvat year, 2083 this time. For your orders it is an ordinary market, only shorter: 70 minutes of normal cash trading and 80 of F&O, with price bands applying as on any day. NSE's circulars say all trades "shall result in settlement obligations", and cash trades settle T+1 on Monday 9 November.
What are the Muhurat trading timings on 8 November 2026?
| Segment | Pre-open (IST) | Normal market (IST) | Close (IST) | Circular |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSE equity | 14:05 to 14:20 | From 14:20 | 15:30; closing auction stocks trade continuously to 15:15, then auction (order entry 15:20 to 15:30, matching to 15:35) | NSE/CMTR/76941 |
| BSE equity | 14:05 to 14:20 | From 14:20 | 15:30; same closing auction split | BSE 20261019-9 |
| NSE F&O | 14:05 to 14:20 | From 14:20 | 15:40 | NSE/FAOP/76940 |
| BSE F&O | 14:05 to 14:20 | From 14:20 | 15:40 | BSE 20261019-10 |
| NSE currency derivatives | None listed | From 14:20 | 15:30 | NSE/CD/76972 |
| NSE commodity derivatives | None listed | From 14:20 | 15:30 | NSE/COM/76978 |
The closing auction covers stocks that have derivatives; every other stock trades until 15:30. NSE's equity circular lists the remaining windows: block deals 13:50 to 14:05, the special pre-open for IPO and re-listed stocks 14:05 to 14:50 (those stocks then trade 15:05 to 15:30), the call auction for illiquid stocks 14:25 to 15:10, and the post-close session 15:50 to 16:00. Trade modification runs to 16:15 in equities and, per the F&O circular, to 15:50 in NSE F&O. On BSE, log-in opens at 13:15 (equity notice, derivatives notice). These are the closing auction timings in force today; SEBI's new closing times start on 7 December 2026 and do not touch this session.
MCX holds its own Muhurat session under circular MCX/TRD/590/2026 of 19 October 2026; take its exact timings from that circular or from your broker. NSE's commodity segment trades 14:20 to 15:30 (NSE/COM/76978). Our post on MCX timing covers the winter evening hours that start the Monday before, and the hub on stock market timings in India has the regular weekday sessions.
How does the Muhurat pre-open work?
Fifteen minutes, with the same timings on NSE and BSE (the order rules below are in NSE's words):
- 14:05 to 14:10: limit and market orders can be entered, modified and cancelled.
- 14:10 to 14:15: limit orders only. Market orders already in can no longer be modified or cancelled, and order entry closes at a random moment in the last two minutes.
- 14:15 to 14:17: orders are matched and trades confirmed.
- 14:17 to 14:20: a buffer, then the normal market opens at 14:20.
The F&O pre-open covers current-month index and stock futures only. Options, far-month futures and spreads are left out, as broker and news summaries of NSE/FAOP/71092 describe the F&O pre-open NSE has run since 8 December 2025; the Muhurat circular does not repeat the scope. So an option cannot trade before 14:20, and some brokers hold an option order sent earlier until the normal market opens.
The circulars describe the pre-open in terms of limit and market orders only. NSE's daily cash pre-open, which has used the same split since 7 September 2026 (NSE/CMTR/74969), does not allow stop-loss, IOC or disclosed-quantity orders, and a trade done in it cannot be cancelled. If the Muhurat pre-open follows the same rules (its circulars do not say), a stop-loss order from your code has to wait for the normal market at 14:20.
When do Muhurat trades settle?
Cash trades from the session form NSE settlement M 2026211 and settle T+1 on Monday 9 November 2026, with pay-in at 16:30 and pay-out at 21:00 (NCL/CMPT/77037). Monday is crowded for NSE Clearing, which runs three cash settlements that day:
| Trades done on | Settlement | Settles on | Pay-in | Pay-out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 6 November (auction) | A 2026209 | Monday 9 November | 08:00 | 10:00 |
| Friday 6 November | M 2026210 | Monday 9 November | 10:30 | 15:30 |
| Sunday 8 November (Muhurat) | M 2026211 | Monday 9 November | 16:30 | 21:00 |
| Monday 9 November | M 2026212 | Wednesday 11 November | Not stated in the circular | Not stated in the circular |
These are clearing times for brokers; your broker passes shares and funds on to you on its own schedule after them. Monday's trades settle on Wednesday because Tuesday is a holiday, and any shortfall in Muhurat or Monday deliveries goes into one auction on Wednesday 11 November, settling on 12 November. For F&O, NCL/CMPT/77038 settles the pay-in and pay-out for Friday's and Sunday's trades together on Monday 9 November at 08:30.
Brokers square off intraday positions before the 15:30 and 15:40 closes on their own timetables, so check yours. Carry-forward F&O positions opened on Sunday roll into Monday like any other day's.
What else changes in Diwali week?
| Date | Day | NSE and BSE | MCX | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Nov | Sunday | Muhurat session only | Muhurat session | Nothing expires on a Muhurat Sunday |
| 9 Nov | Monday | Normal trading | Normal | NIFTY weekly expiry, moved from Tuesday; Friday and Muhurat cash trades settle |
| 10 Nov | Tuesday | Closed: Diwali-Balipratipada | Morning shut, evening session from 17:00 | No trading on NSE or BSE |
| 11 Nov | Wednesday | Normal (Bhai Dooj is not a trading holiday) | Normal | Monday's cash trades settle |
| 12 Nov | Thursday | Normal | Normal | SENSEX weekly expiry as usual |
The NIFTY weekly would have expired on Tuesday 10 November. That is a trading holiday, so the expiry moves to the previous trading day, Monday 9 November; the Sunday Muhurat session hosts no expiry. The same rule pulls November's NSE monthly expiry to Monday 23 November, because Tuesday 24 November is Guru Nanak Jayanti. Every date to January 2027 is in our F&O expiry calendar, and the closures left this year are in NSE holidays 2026.
Does QuantGrid copy trades during the Muhurat session?
Yes. QuantGrid runs around the clock, every day, so a parent's order in the Muhurat session is copied the way a weekday order is. An order placed on a parent before the session opens is, in the site's words, "copied at once like any other", with exceptions the site lists (on an Angel One parent account, for one, it is copied once, when Angel One sends it to the exchange). Whether the child's broker accepts a copy made while the exchange is closed is that broker's rule: some hold it as an after-market order for the next session, and some refuse it.
Check sign-ins before the session. QuantGrid holds a broker API session for a single trading day at most, so Friday's sessions will not reach Sunday afternoon, and a signed-out child receives no copies while a signed-out parent's orders are not watched. Look at each parent and child account's status on the dashboard before the pre-open begins at 14:05.
Square-off treats 8 November as an open session from 14:00 IST, so you can square off all positions across linked accounts during Muhurat, where on an ordinary Sunday it is refused because the market is shut. Some brokers hold an option exit sent before 14:20 until the normal market opens.
Frequently asked questions
Is the stock market open on Diwali 2026, which falls on a Sunday?
Yes, for the Muhurat session only. On Sunday 8 November normal trading runs 14:20 to 15:30 IST for cash and to 15:40 for F&O on NSE and BSE. Tuesday 10 November, Diwali-Balipratipada, is a full trading holiday on both exchanges.
Can I trade options in the Muhurat pre-open from 14:05?
No. NSE's F&O pre-open covers current-month index and stock futures only, as brokers summarise NSE/FAOP/71092, so options start trading when the normal market opens at 14:20. Some brokers hold an option order placed earlier until then.
When do shares bought in the Muhurat session reach my demat account?
Muhurat cash trades settle T+1 on Monday 9 November 2026 as settlement M 2026211, with NSE Clearing's pay-out at 21:00 that evening (NCL/CMPT/77037). Your broker then moves them to your demat account on its own schedule.
Is MCX open for Muhurat trading on 8 November 2026?
Yes. MCX holds a Muhurat session under its circular MCX/TRD/590/2026 of 19 October 2026, so take the exact MCX timings from that circular or from your broker. On NSE's commodity segment the same day, normal trading runs 14:20 to 15:30 (NSE/COM/76978).
Is Monday 9 November 2026 a normal trading day?
Yes. NSE and BSE trade their usual hours on Monday 9 November, and the day carries the NIFTY weekly expiry, moved from Tuesday 10 November because that day is a trading holiday. Friday's and Sunday's cash trades also settle on the Monday.