Zerodha Muhurat Diwali Zerodha

Zerodha Muhurat trading 2026

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Muhurat trading is a special one-hour trading session held on the evening of Diwali (Laxmi Pujan) day. It is ceremonial: the auspicious hour is regarded as a propitious moment to begin investing for the Hindu Samvat new year. NSE and BSE both run the session; Zerodha Kite participates with the standard order flow.

Date for 2026

Diwali (Laxmi Pujan) falls in October / November 2026; the specific date depends on the Hindu calendar. NSE and BSE confirm the exact Muhurat session date and timing approximately 2-3 weeks before, via official notification.

Cross-check the NSE notification and BSE notification for the confirmed date.

Typical Muhurat schedule

The Muhurat session is a one-hour window in the evening of Diwali day. Typical timing (approximate; subject to NSE / BSE confirmation):

ActivityTime (approximate)
Pre-open / order collection18:00 to 18:15 IST
Trading session18:15 to 19:15 IST
Post-sessionAfter 19:15 IST

For 2026, the exact times will be confirmed by NSE and BSE in advance.

Segments covered

SegmentMuhurat session?
Equity (NSE / BSE cash)Yes
F&O (NSE / BSE futures and options)Yes
Currency derivativesYes
Commodities (MCX )Yes (separate session)

All major segments participate. Settlement applies normally (T+1 for equity, daily MTM for F&O).

Ceremonial significance

Muhurat trading is a tradition dating back to the BSE’s early years. The session is regarded as auspicious for:

  • Buying token quantities of preferred stocks.
  • Symbolically committing to new financial intentions for Samvat (Hindu calendar) new year.
  • Family rituals around investing.

Many retail investors buy a “token” share or two during Muhurat; institutional and HNI flow is usually lower than a regular session.

What to expect

  • Lower-than-normal volumes in most scrips.
  • Wider bid-ask spreads on illiquid scrips.
  • Higher symbolic buying of large-cap blue chips and gold ETFs.
  • Lower price impact on small trades.

For most retail traders, Muhurat is a ceremonial moment rather than a day for aggressive trading.

How to participate from Zerodha

  1. Log in to Kite at the appropriate time (typically 18:00 onwards on Diwali day).
  2. Place buy / sell orders as in a normal session.
  3. Orders match per regular logic at the Muhurat session timing.
  4. Settlement is T+1 (one trading day later, which is typically the next business day).

If you intend to participate, ensure:

  • Funds are paid in before the session (settlement happens normally).
  • Your watchlist is set up.
  • The Kite app or web is logged in and tested.

Holding for the Samvat year

A common Muhurat strategy: buy a few shares of selected stocks and hold for the Samvat year (one Hindu calendar year ahead). The token positions accumulate yearly.

For tax purposes, Muhurat-bought shares follow the normal capital gains rules per holding period; no special tax treatment.

Tax and reporting

Muhurat trades:

  • Are tagged in the same trade book as any other trade.
  • Show in Tradebook on Console.
  • Are subject to all normal charges (brokerage, STT, exchange, GST, stamp, SEBI).
  • Are taxed normally per STCG / LTCG rules.

See also

External references

References

  1. NSE India, Muhurat trading session notifications, nseindia.com.
  2. BSE India, Muhurat trading historical sessions, bseindia.com.
  3. Zerodha Support, Muhurat trading on Kite, support.zerodha.com.
  4. MCX India, Commodity Muhurat session, mcxindia.com.

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