Is the stock market closed on Gudi Padwa (19th March 2026)?

As Maharashtra and a few other states in India prepare to celebrate Gudi Padwa, which marks the traditional beginning of the Hindu New Year on Thursday, March 19, 2026, confusion prevails among many retail investors and intraday traders regarding whether the stock market will be open on Gudi Padwa. According to the exchange's stock market holiday calendar, the stock exchanges will operate normally on Gudi Padwa, there is a major catch when it comes to fund settlements.Because Gudi Padwa is a regional bank holiday in Maharashtra (the financial hub of India), the day is conducted with a unique set of market rules. Here is a detailed look at what will be open, what will be closed and how this will affect traders and investors on March 19, 2026.What is Gudi Padwa?Gudi Padwa is the Marathi New Year, celebrated on the first day of the Hindu lunar calendar month of Chaitra. It is the start of a new year as per the Hindu Panchang and is one of the most important festivals in Maharashtra. The word Gudi means flag or victory flag, and Padwa is derived from the Sanskrit word pratipada, which means the first day of a lunar fortnight. According to the Brahma Purana, Gudi Padwa is the day on which Lord Brahma created the universe and time itself. The festival is also associated with the coronation of Lord Rama after his victory over Ravana and with King Shalivahan's historical victory over the Huns, which is the starting point of the Shalivahan Shaka era still used in the Hindu calendar today.Status of Equity, F&O, and Commodity MarketsFor the majority of retail investors, 19th March will be a regular trading day. The National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) will be operating in full swing, which means market participants can trade in the Equity (Cash) Market and Equity Derivatives (F&O) during their regular hours from 9:15 AM to 3:30 PM. The Stock Lending & Borrowing (SLBM) window will be active throughout the day. Additionally, in the commodity segment, there will be no disruption in its schedule; the Multi-Commodity Exchange (MCX) will conduct business as usual in both the morning session (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM) and evening session (5:00 PM to 11:30/11:55 PM).The impact of Gudi Padwa on the stock market19th March, 2026, will be a clearing and settlement holiday. Thus, even though market participants can buy and sell equity shares on the exchange, the clearing corporations will be closed on 19th March. It will result in delayed payouts for funds and trades executed on 18th March. For example, if investors sell their delivery shares on 18th March, the trade will be settled on the next working day due to the T+1 settlement cycle followed in Indian stock markets, but 19th March is a settlement holiday; thus, the settlement will take place on 20th March.Trades made on both Wednesday (March 18) and Thursday (March 19) will be combined and settled on Friday (March 20).How does it affect investors and traders?The 19th March Gudi Padwa bank holiday in Maharashtra will have some implications for investors and traders, such as:Equity and F&O traders should trade as usualThe equity, cash and derivatives segments will be fully operational on the 19th March. There is no specific restriction, modified session or early close for equity market participants. All the orders, including intraday, delivery, and derivative orders, will be executed like a regular trading day from 9:15 AM to 3:30 PM.Pre-fund trading accountsMarket participants should pre-fund their trading account a day before 19th March. NEFT and RTGS may not be processed instantly from bank branches in Maharashtra on March 19. If necessary, they can use UPI for small top-ups on a bank holiday.BSE weekly expiry F&O falls on 19th March19th March is a Thursday, which is the BSE Sensex weekly expiry day. The BSE weekly Sensex options will expire as usual on 19th March, as the equity derivatives segment is completely operational on 19th March. Thus, traders managing Sensex weekly positions should handle their positions like any other regular BSE expiry on Thursday.Final thoughtsGudi Padwa on 19th March 19, 2026, is not a trading holiday in the Indian stock market. The equity cash market, F&O segment, and commodity trading will be open for regular operations on 19th March. Due to the 19th March bank holiday in Maharashtra, only NEFT and RTGS fund transfers may face delays, while the T+1 equity sale proceeds of 18th March will be credited a day late.

Is the stock market closed on Gudi Padwa (19th March 2026)?

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