Stock Market Holiday Today, March 3: NSE, BSE closed for Holi; MCX trading to resume in evening

The closure comes a day after markets witnessed a sharp sell-off on Monday amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran.

Indian equity markets opened sharply lower on Monday, mirroring weak global cues, with the BSE Sensex plunging over 3 per cent and the Nifty 50 slipping more than 300 points in early trade.

However, the benchmarks trimmed a significant portion of their losses as the session progressed. The Sensex eventually settled 1.3 per cent lower at 80,238.85, while the Nifty 50 closed 1.2 per cent down at 24,865.70.

Is MCX Closed?

Unlike the equity markets, the Multi-Commodity Exchange (MCX) of India (MCX) will not remain shut for the entire day. The commodity exchange will be closed during the morning session but will resume trading in the evening session from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM.

Why is Holi celebrated?

Holi is celebrated to mark the victory of good over evil and the arrival of spring, symbolising joy, renewal, and the spirit of togetherness.

There has been some confusion regarding the holiday, as Holi will be celebrated nationwide on March 4, while markets are closed on March 3. However, the NSE and BSE had notified participants about the March 3 closure in their official holiday calendar released earlier this year.

More market holidays in March 2026

However, this is not the only holiday the markets will observe in March, apart from the mandatory weekly offs. Trading will also remain suspended on March 26 on account of Ram Navami, and again on March 31 for Mahavir Jayanti.

Here’s the full list of closures in March 2026