The first day
Sanskrit pratipad: the first lunar day.
The first lunar day of a fortnight. Govardhan Puja is kept on the Pratipada after Diwali, and Ugadi on the first of Chaitra.
Diwali is a five-day season at the Kartika new moon (October-November). This sets out the days, the Padma Purana and al-Biruni, and which stories are later.
The Panchang, Hinduism's lunar-solar calendar, tracks the relationship between Sun and Moon across five limbs to determine auspicious timings and festivals.
A step-by-step guide to home worship of Goddess Durga during Navratri, from Kalash Sthapana through Kanya Pujan and the closing Visarjan.