Says Praful Kalokhe, secretary, Sarasbaug Phataka Dealers Association, ``Some of the big companies have made it a matter of policy for two years now. While child labour hasn't completely been abolished (the small-time manufacturers still have children employed), a step has been made following the attention the issue has got,'' he says. Here's to a genuinely happier Diwali.

Painter's peregrination
Most tourists take their camera along to capture memories of scenic landscapes they see on the way. When noted artist Diwakar Dengle went on a trip to Kulu Manali and Simla, he took along something that would capture the natural beauty of these places in the colours he saw in them - his paints and brushes!

``The trip to these picturesque spots, with friends and family who were also interested in fine arts and photography, was not merely for sight-seeing. It was meant to inculcate an interest in the appreciation of the arts,'' he says. And succeed he certainly did. At every halt on their journey, and even during it, Dengle and his friends continued to paint, draw and sketch, attracting the curiosity and interest of fellow-travellers and passers-by. The result of the 15-day-long trip to the tourist destinations of Vaishnodevi, Kulu Manali, Dalhousie and Simla is a series of beautiful landscapes - 125 drawings, 50 ink sketches and some 30 water colours. Plans are now afoot to hold an exhibition of his recent work at the Balgandharva Kaladalan and another one at the Nehru Centre gallery in Mumbai.

Gone fishin'
If you are a seasoned gourmet and a fish fanatic, here's the place to go to! Bhandari Holiday Resorts on Sinhagad Road is having a Seafood festival, and to say that it's out of this world, is making an understatement. And for fish-lovers who want them fresh, the resort has resorted to keeping the fish in ponds and aquariums within the premises. The person gets to choose the fish of his choice which is cooked and served piping hot within half an hour. The fish is cooked in Manglorean, Malvani, Goan, Kolhapuri and Chinese styles. So you have the subtly-flavoured Manglorean ghassi, and the spicy tiklas, fried or sauted. The variety of fish will also delight any connoisseur. Fresh water hab, shellfish, lobster, tilapia, Indian carp, African catfish, giant prawns, sea bass, pomfret, crab and more.

The specialty of the house is the Fish Bhandari Stuffed Special, a surmai sliced and stuffed with cooked prawns and eel, and sauted or fried with garnishing. Satish Bhandari, managing director, and Shekhar Shetty, food and beverage manager, have developed an a la carte menu for lunch and dinner, which began on October 12 and goes on till the 17th.