Muhurat Trading: Market to open for just 1 hour today—note the auspicious time for potential gains!

While the Indian stock market typically remains closed on Sundays, a special 'Muhurat Trading' session is held every year on the occasion of Diwali. The BSE introduced this tradition in 1957.

As is customary, a special Muhurat Trading session will take place on the occasion of Diwali (Lakshmi Pujan). India’s equity benchmarks, the NSE and BSE, have announced the timings for this session. Investors are eager to place their bets and try their luck on this auspicious day. This special trading session will be held today, Sunday, November 8, from 2:20 PM to 3:30 PM.

Although the stock market is usually closed on Sundays, it will remain open for one hour due to the auspicious nature of Muhurat Trading—a tradition spanning 70 years. The BSE introduced this practice in 1957, while the NSE has been conducting it consistently since 1992. Traditional traders view this as a modern iteration of 'Chopda Pujan' (the ritual worship of account books). This trading session also marks the beginning of the new Hindu financial year, Samvat 2083.

Why is Muhurat Trading significant?

In the past, on the day of Diwali, business owners would perform 'Lakshmi Pujan' alongside the worship of their new red account books, known as 'Chopda'. In today’s era of digitalization, traders and new investors often perform a ritual—such as drawing a 'Swastika' or applying a 'tilak'—on their trading terminals, laptops, or mobile screens before placing their first order. In a sense, you can consider this a modern-day financial event. While the expectation of profit is certainly present in Muhurat Trading, the aspect of 'shagun' (an auspicious gesture) holds even greater significance. It is believed that investments made during this auspicious time bring prosperity and abundance throughout the year. This is why many people participate in this tradition by purchasing even just a single share.

History also shows that the market typically closes in the green on the day of Muhurat Trading. However, due to the shorter trading duration, one may observe sharp fluctuations in share prices.

Full Schedule for Muhurat Trading:

Block Deal Session: 01:50 PM to 02:05 PM

Pre-Open Session: 02:05 PM to 02:20 PM

Normal Market Trading: 02:20 PM to 03:30 PM

F&O (Derivatives) Trading: 02:20 PM to 03:40 PM

Closing Auction Session: 03:20 PM to 03:30 PM

Post-Close Session: 03:50 PM to 04:00 PM