Indian Stock Exchanges Open for Special Diwali Muhurat Trading Session

Indian stock exchanges held a special one-hour Muhurat trading session on Sunday, November 8, to mark the beginning of Samvat 2083 and celebrate the Diwali festival with symbolic investments.

The session, which ran from 2:20 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., followed a 15-minute pre-opening period that began at 2:05 p.m. on both the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.

Market participants view the annual event as an auspicious time to initiate new financial commitments, reflecting the broader cultural association between the Diwali holiday and the pursuit of future prosperity.

“It is believed that trading during the 'Muhurat' or auspicious hour brings prosperity and financial growth for the stakeholders,” according to reports from The Hindu and Business Standard.

The special session followed a week of strong performance for Indian equities. On Friday, the BSE Sensex rose 1,718.01 points to close at 81,028.02, while the Nifty 50 climbed 493.75 points.

This recent rally marked seven consecutive sessions of growth, during which the Sensex surged 10.62 percent. Foreign institutional investors contributed to the momentum, purchasing equities worth Rs 13,749.82 crore on Friday.

During the Sunday session, the Sensex added 401.80 points to reach 81,406, while the Nifty 50 increased by 79.15 points to 25,109.40, according to data provided by The Hindu.

Trading activity included various segments such as equity, commodity derivatives, and currency derivatives. Exchanges also facilitated block deals and periodic call auctions to manage the abbreviated schedule.

The market performance in the new Samvat year contrasts with the previous year, Samvat 2082, during which the BSE benchmark declined by 4 percent and the Nifty fell 3.24 percent.

Analysts remain focused on the potential for continued growth in the coming months, with several brokerages issuing stock recommendations across sectors including defence, banking, and real estate for the new year.