Stock market holidays: The Indian stock market will remain closed for trading on Tuesday, March 3, on account of Holi 2026. While the market holiday has been scheduled for Tuesday, the festival of colours will be observed across many parts of the country on Wednesday, March 4.
Both the BSE and the NSE will remain closed for trading on Tuesday, March 3. Meanwhile, the Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX) will be closed during the first half of the day, with trading resuming in the evening session from 5 pm to 11 pm today.
Meanwhile, the National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) will also remain closed for both trading sessions.
Stock market holidays in 2026
In the holiday calendar issued last year, the exchanges had declared 15 trading holidays in 2026. So far, the market has observed only two trading holidays – January 15 as an additional holiday on account of the Mumbai BMC elections and January 26 for Republic Day.
Moving ahead, March continues to be a holiday-packed month for the Indian stock market, with three trading sessions shut in addition to regular weekend breaks. Besides being closed tomorrow, both the BSE and the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) will observe further holidays later in the month on account of Ram Navami and Mahavir Jayanti.
The market will remain closed for Shri Ram Navami on Thursday, March 26, and for Shri Mahavir Jayanti on Tuesday, March 31.
Looking ahead, April and May will each have two trading holidays, followed by one holiday in June. There will be no market closures in July and August. Meanwhile, September and December will have one holiday each, while October and November will see two trading holidays apiece.
| Sr. No | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15-Jan-2026 | Municipal Corporation Election – Maharashtra |
| 2 | 26-Jan-2026 | Republic Day |
| 3 | 03-Mar-2026 | Holi |
| 4 | 26-Mar-2026 | Shri Ram Navami |
| 5 | 31-Mar-2026 | Shri Mahavir Jayanti |
| 6 | 03-Apr-2026 | Good Friday |
| 7 | 14-Apr-2026 | Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti |
| 8 | 01-May-2026 | Maharashtra Day |
| 9 | 28-May-2026 | Bakri Id |
| 10 | 26-Jun-2026 | Muharram |
| 11 | 14-Sep-2026 | Ganesh Chaturthi |
| 12 | 02-Oct-2026 | Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti |
| 13 | 20-Oct-2026 | Dussehra |
| 14 | 10-Nov-2026 | Diwali-Balipratipada |
| 15 | 24-Nov-2026 | Prakash Gurpurb Sri Guru Nanak Dev |
| 16 | 25-Dec-2026 | Christmas |
Stock market update
Rising tensions in the Middle East unsettled global markets in Monday’s session on March 2, dragging the Indian stock market lower as both benchmark indices ended the day with losses of over 1%.
The Nifty 50 declined 1.24% to close at 24,865, while the BSE Sensex dropped 1.29% to settle at 80,238. Broader markets also witnessed sharp declines, with the Nifty Midcap 100 and the Nifty Smallcap 100 each tumbling more than 1.5%.
“Markets witnessed sharp selling pressure on Monday, losing over a percent amid weak global cues and rising geopolitical tensions. The Nifty opened with a gap down following negative global signals and extended its losses during the session as selling intensified across sectors. However, a recovery in the final hour helped trim some losses, and the index eventually settled at 24,865.70.
The decline was largely broad-based. Auto, realty and energy stocks were among the major drags, while only a handful of defensive names and the metal space showed some resilience. Broader markets also came under pressure, with both midcap and smallcap indices slipping by more than one and a half percent, indicating widespread caution among participants,” said Ajit Mishra – SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd.
Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. Please consult with an investment advisor before making any investment decisions.
