jQuery -To get minDate value and set that value

I have a date field and want to set minDate for the same.There is one custom range that i have defined for beforeShowDay that make some of the date as selectable.I want to set the first selectable date using setDate function. How can i achieve the same ?

e.g: when i use this on ready function, jQuery('#startDate').datepicker("setDate",new Date());so by the time page is loaded it is populated with StartDate:09/27/2010. Now instead of using new Date(), i want first selectable date to be populated.

Here is my code for the same:

<label>Start Date:</label><input type="text" id="startDate"></input> 
      &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<label>End Date:</label><input type="text" id="endDate"></input> 
 <script>jQuery(function() {
 jQuery('#startDate, #endDate').datepicker();

 jQuery('#startDate, #endDate').datepicker('option', {
   beforeShow: customRange
 });
 //This populates with Values as current date in this format10/10/2010(I DONT WANT  
 //THIS...I WANT THE FIRST MINIMUM DATE of start date field TO BE SELECTABLE in this  
 //case it should be 10/11/2010 ??????????????????)
 jQuery('#startDate').datepicker("setDate",new Date());
});

function customRange(input) {

if (input.id == 'endDate') {
//Get date from FromDate field
var startDate = jQuery('#startDate').datepicker("getDate");
//add 1 day in the From Date, so it become minDate for ToDate Field
var startDate_For_ToDate_Field = new Date(startDate.getFullYear(), 
                       startDate.getMonth(), startDate.getDate()+1);
//add 30 dyas in the From Date,so it becomes maxDate for ToDate Field
var endDate_For_FromDate_Field= new D开发者_开发百科ate(startDate.getFullYear(), startDate.getMonth(),
                                 startDate.getDate()+31);

return {
  numberOfMonths: 2,
  minDate: startDate_For_ToDate_Field,
  maxDate: endDate_For_FromDate_Field,
  beforeShowDay:$.datepicker.noWeekends
 };
} else if (input.id == 'startDate') {
  $('#endDate').datepicker("setDate",null);
 return {
  numberOfMonths: 2,
  minDate:'+1',
  maxDate: jQuery('#endDate').datepicker("getDate")+'7',
  beforeShowDay:$.datepicker.noWeekends
   };
  }
}
</script><script type="text/javascript"> 

Thanks, Dhiren

$( ".selector" ).datepicker({ minDate: new Date(2007, 1 - 1, 1) });

for more info: http://jqueryui.com/demos/datepicker/#option-minDate