The hotel Silver Sands in the tiny union territory and former Portuguese colony of Daman which lies on the border of Maharashtra and Gujarat, offers a Diwali package till November 3.

The hotel offers air-conditioned and non air-conditioned rooms.

The package is priced at Rs 3,300 for a non air-conditioned standard room on twin sharing basis for two nights and three days all meals included. Rooms are still available. Children above 3 and below 12 will be charged Rs 450. An extra adult will be charged Rs 600

The same package is priced at Rs 4,300 for an air-conditioned standard room on twin sharing basis for two nights and three days all meals included. However Rooms are available on this package only after the 30th and till the 3rd. Children above 3 and below 12 will be charged Rs 600. An extra adult will be charged Rs 900

The same tariff will be charged to foreign passport holders.

For reservations and more information contact:
Silver Sands, Devka Daman Road, Daman, phone: 02636-54376.

Machan at the Taj Mahal hotel offers a Karavalli food festival this Diwali.

Special chefs have been flown in to offer patrons a choice of Goan, Karwar, Mangalorean and Kerala food using authentic spices and ingredients. Delicacies like kori gassi, Alleppey fish curry, pomfret porichatu, potato drumstick ajadina, Goan fish curry, kori kempu.

The festival is on till November 2. Lunch will be served from 1230 hours to 1500 hours. And dinner will be served at 2000 to 2345 hours.

For reservations contact:
Machan, Taj Mahal hotel, The Taj Mahal Hotel, 1 Mansingh Road, phone: 011-3016162.

La Patisserie, the cake shop at the Taj Mahal hotel in Bombay is offering chocolate diyas -- what they term 24 carat, hand cut diyas -- for the Diwali season for Rs 480, taxes included for a box of six.

The shop is also offering 600 gm bags of chocolate for Rs 500, taxes extra and 'choco-wine' hampers for Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500, taxes extra.

For placing orders and for more information contact:
The Taj Mahal Hotel, Apollo Bunder, Bombay, phone: 022-2023366.

All leading department stores and shops in Bombay will open on Diwali Day and on New Year's day.

Plenty of Diwali discounts and sales are on. Watch this space for daily updates:

• BPL televisions offer special discounts -- upto Rs 1000 off -- for Diwali. Valid till October 30 at all BPL showrooms in Pune, Nagpur, Bombay and Aurangabad.

• Color Plus, at Vama, Peddar road and at Shopper's Stop, Andheri is holding a Diwali sale of its shirts, chinos, linens and khakhis.

• Satyam Collection, at Churchgate, phone: 022-2854703, 2854704 and Vishnu Nagar, Ghantali colony, Thane, phones: 022-5408714 is offering a variety of Diwali gifts and cards and discounts on bulk orders.

• Tatafone is offering sizeable discounts, upto Rs 1,000 off, on their cordless phones till October 30. Contact Tatafone at 022-2873129, 2832639..

• Videocon is offering discounts on its washing machines till October 31. The V-NA-200E, with 3 kg capacity, is available for Rs 4,990, taxes included and the V-NA-400T, with 4 kg capacity is available for Rs 7,990, taxes included.

• VGP Paneerdas at Sion is offering a Diwali discount of Rs 2,700 on its IFB washing machines in an exchange for an old washing machine. Contact the showroom near Sion Hospital, Sion, phone: 022-4073804, 4074789, 4091092.

• ACE is a festival pack of a Philips Digi mobile handset and ACE card for Rs 9,800, taxes included till October 31.The ACE card will come with Rs 1,500 of talk-time free. Phone 022-4323232.

• Central Cottage Industries Emporium is offering 22 per cent off on all merchandise till October 29 at its showroom at Apollo Bunder, phones: 022-2026564, 2844194, 2027537.

• BPL Mobile is offering Diwali discounts on the Motorola d 160. It is available for Rs 7,700. Phone 022-6483459, 6041177, 6041180.

• Diwali sale at Vama up to November 1 on their formal kurtas and saris. The store is located at Kanchanjunga on Peddar road.

• A to Z is holding a grand Diwali sale at the Sunderbhai Hall and at their Crawford Market showroom till October 31 on carpets, rugs, dhurries, linen, curtains, pillows and bed spreads.

• A twenty per cent discount on saris and kurta sets for Diwali at Nalini Sarees in The Oberoi, phone: 022-2024723, 2026831.

• The Compaq Presario Festival is on for Diwali till October 31. The company is offering this range, which are powered by an Intel pentium processor at Rs 76,000 and above with a 7.9 per cent finance scheme. Contact in Bombay: Compunics Info Systems at phone: 022-2880400 or Tangerine Computers at phone: 022-6457581, 8810582, 2630526, 5221108 or Strawberry, phone: 022-8395154 or Kaytronic Computers at phone: 022-6244248 or at Computer Point, phone: 022-4948380 or in Pune Cyberworld, phone: 0212-626071.

• Akbarally's is offering discounts on bedroom and living room furniture sets. Rs 25,925 for a double bed, mattress, a bedside table and a wardrobe. Rs 35,925 for a sofa set, a centre table, a sideboard, a dining room table and four chairs.

• Empire Shoes at Colaba and Warden road and Oscar Shoes at Colaba are offering up to 50 per cent off on shoes.

• Venilals Bhuleshwar, central Bombay, phone: 022-2085151 offers discounts on saris till October 31.

• Kurta sets and shirts with festive patterns are available at Tejpal Art Gallery, August Kranti Marg, Gwalior Tank till October 25.

• Parsi Dairy Farm at Princess Street are offering sutar feni, shrikhand (Rs 95 per kg), kaju rock barfi, almond rock barfi and mawa barfi for Diwali

A number of Diwali sales are on in New Delhi. Watch this space:

• Rs 3,050 off on all Allywn fridges for Diwali at all showrooms in New Delhi.

• Titan offers a special Diwali collection of 100 designs at their main showrooms at N-4 Connaught Place, phone: 011-3715643, and at 17A/30-31 Ajmal Khan Road, Karol Bagh, phone: 011-5728695 and at F-43 South Extension, phone: 011-4693284 and their franchises all over th city.

• Exhibition of gold, diamond and semi-precious jewellery at the UP government emporium, Gangotri, Baba Kharak Singh road, phone: 011-3343559. Last two days.

• Special 22 carat coins available for Diwali at Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri, 2 Scindia House, Janpath.

• A Denim Mela for Diwali at Vintage, F-26, first floor Connaught place. Thirty per cent off Jordache and Wrangler jeans.

• Gala Diwali sale at Dakshin of saris and kurta sets, dupattas and material by the metre, till October 31 at B-45 Arjun Palace, opposite Archana Complex, Greater Kailash I, phone: 011-6462841

• Meena Bazaar is offering Southern silk saris for Diwali for as little as Rs 988. The company has stores at Karol Bagh, Kamla Nagar and Lajpat Nagar.

• Enchante is offering Rs 850 off per 10 grams of gold chains purchased at their factory showroom at Plot 3-4, Udyog Vihar, Phase IV, Delhi-Jaipur highway, phones: 011-346498, 342388 or at the Mehrasons Jewellers, C-11 Connaught Place, phones: 3323950.

• A Diwali sale is on at Hitakari Potteries at A-9 Connaught Place from 1000 hours to 2000 hours.

• Special gifts -- pots, terra cotta bric-a-brac -- at Sondha Garden Shop, 39 Prithvi Raj road, phones: 011-4648659, 4638663.

• Forty per cent discounts on carpets at Maharaja Arts, next to Qutb Minar, Lado Sarai, F-213/D, MB road, phones: 011-6864151, 6965910, 6854731.

Mahatta Camera Corporation, which market Canon products in India, is offering the Canon Prima DX II at the special Diwali price of Rs 1,850, taxes included, with one year warranty and a free Parker pen all over India till October 31.

For more information or to find the address of the dealer nearest to you contact: Mahatta Camera Corporation in Bombay at phone: 022-8504608, 8508065
Or in New Delhi at phone: 011-6102974.

Ovenpick, a bakery chain run by Jain Bakers opens 14 outlets in Bombay and New Bombay in time for Diwali.

The chain will offer cakes, pastries, chocolates and more -- a range of 200 products -- that will not contain eggs, gelatine, puddings, chemicals or animal tallow. Indian favourites like nankhatai and khari biscuits will also be available. For Diwali the chain will offer a a selection of 10 gift packs

The company has set up a special plant in Ghatkopar, Bombay utilising Swiss, US and German equipment and has developed 100 per cent vegetarian substitutes for eggs, tallow and gelatine. The company plans to have 30 outlets open in a year.

Their branches are located in Worli, West, Bhiwandi, Chembur, Ghatkopar East, Ghatkopar West, Khar West, Matunga, Mulund West, Thane West, Vashi, New Bombay and Walkeshwar.

For more information contact
Jain Bakers, Ghatkopar, phone: 022-5172424, 5173111

Hotel Aurora Towers in Pune is offering a special Diwali package.

The package is priced at Rs 1995 per day on twin sharing basis for three days and two nights, not including taxes. The package includes a welcome drink, special Diwali gifts, a fruit basket, mithai, airport transfers, free workouts at the fitness club and two children below 12 are free.

The hotel will arrange for access to the a golf course. And offers 15 per cent discounts at all their restaurants

For reservations contact: Hotel Aurora Towers, 9, Moledina road, Pune, phone: 0212-631818 or fax: 0212-631826.

Timex is offering a special Diwali Pataaka offer.

The watch company is offering anywhere from Rs 55 to Rs 555 off on watches.

This sale is valid across India except in Kerala, West Bengal and the Northeast till October 31.

Timex is sold and serviced at Titan showrooms all over India.

Taj Summer Holidays offers a special holiday package for the Taj Holiday Village, Fort Aguada Beach Resort and The Aguada Hermitage in Goa up to February 28 but not between December 20 and January 5.

The rates for the Indian passport holder are

• The Taj Holiday Village offers a package for Rs 2,600, per person per day for a double room on twin sharing basis, for at least two nights and three days.
• The Fort Aguada Beach Resort offers a package for Rs 3,000, per person per day for a double room on twin sharing basis, for at least two nights and three days.
• The Aguada Hermitage offers a package for Rs 4,250. per person per day for a double room on twin sharing basis, for at least two nights and three days.
• It includes airport transfers, a welcome drink, meals worth Rs 850 per person per day, 20 per cent discount on water sports, and taxes. The package is free for two children under 12

For bookings and more information contact:
The Taj Mahal Hotel at P J Ramchandani Marg, Bombay, phone: 022-2023366.
Fort Aguada Beach Resort, Taj Holiday Village and The Aguada Hermitage at Sinquerim, Goa, phone: 0832-276201/ 277801.
New Delhi at 011-3322333.
Calcutta at 033-2233939.
Madras at 044-8272827.

The Resort near Aksa Beach, just outside Bombay offers a package ideal for a quiet Diwali weekend.

The package is priced at Rs 3,750 per couple per night for a minimum stay of two nights. The package includes breakfast, a meal credit of Rs 1,000 per couple and taxes, a welcome drink and a free basket of fruit.

For five packages or rooms booked get a sixth package or room free for two days

The same tariff will be charged to foreign passport holders.

For reservations and more information contact:
The Resort, Aksa Beach, Madh Marve Road, Malad, Bombay, phone: 022-8823331/ 8820471.
Or at their Bombay sales office, phone: 022-6494552/ 6461624.
Or at Pune, phone: 0212-6221062.

For more information on beaches in the Aksa and Madh Island area click here.

Buy a gift voucher for a friend or relative from Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri for Diwali.

This well-know Bombay jeweller is offering gift vouchers for Rs 100, Rs 500, Rs 1,000 and Rs 5,000 for Diwali.

For more information contact:
Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri, Opera House, Bombay, phones: 022-3633060, 3633061, 3633062, 3633063.

Kemp Fort, touted to be the largest sari shop in the world, opens in Bangalore. The shop also offers apparently the largest collection of toys in the world too.

The shop covers an area of 300,000 square feet and is open daily from 1000 hours to 2100 hours even on holidays. Saris of all varieties are available -- Kancheevarams, chiffons, silks, valkalams, georgettes, balucharis, Benarsis, brocades, tissue, tussars, bandhanis, Dhakais, garcholas, paithanis, pochampallis, tanchois, zardozi, cotton and many more.

Their toy collection includes -- pre-school toys, educational toys, magic toys, electronic toys, stuffed animals, dolls, party accesssories, action toys, sports equipment and toys for teenagers. The shop offers facilities like magic shows, chocolate machines, costumed entertainers, live shows and refreshments.

For more information contact:
Kemp Fort, Airport road, phone: 080-5292000 or fax: 080-5269999.

Co-optex, Tamil Nadu Handlooms owned by the Government of Tamil Nadu, is offering upto 40 per cent off on saris.

Special Diwali discounts are available on Co-optex saris. A minimum of 20 per cent discount is available on any sari in the store. And upto 40 per cent discount is available on certain varieties. The Co-optex stores offer a wide range of silk and zari saris including the famous Kancheepuram saris. The showrooms will remain open on Sundays and holidays till Diwali.

Gateway Riverview Lodge in Chiplun, Maharashtra in the Konkan region, bordering the serene Vashishti river, on the highway to Goa, offers its new Diwali package which are valid up to December 20 and from January 5 to March 31, 1998.

The package is priced at Rs 2,275 per person per night for a standard air-conditioned room on twin sharing basis all meals and taxes included. The same package for an air-conditioned room without meals is priced at Rs 2,275 per person per night. This includes meals and taxes.

This tariff will not be applicable to foreign passport holders.

For reservations and more information contact:
Gateway Riverview Lodge, Chiplun, District Ratnagiri, phone: 02355-52853/ 72233.
Or in Bombay at 022-2022524/ 2043122.

For more information on this hotel in Chiplun click here.

Kamats Silvassa Resort, in the tiny union territory and former Portuguese colony of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, which lies on the border of Gujarat, Daman and Maharashtra, offers a package for Diwali.

The package is priced at Rs 844 per person per day for a double air-conditioned room for two nights and three days on twin sharing basis. It includes meals upto a limit of Rs 350 per person and taxes. Children will be accommodated in the parents' room. The hotel has a pool and a bar.

The same tariff will be charged to foreign passport holders.

For reservations and more information contact:
Kamats Silvassa Resort, Naroli Road, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Silvassa, phone: 02638-40431/ 40668.
or in Bombay at 022-8731869/ 8729838.

Hotel Landmark Resort at Ganpatipule, a beach town about eight hours from Bombay by road, offers special rates for Diwali.

The hotel, which is located on the beach offers 10 deluxe rooms and rooms in 10 cottages and has a swimming pool. Chinese and Indian meals, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, are available at an in-house restaurant.

• The tariff for an air-conditioned cottage is Rs 1,500 per couple per day, breakfast included.
• The tariff for a non-air-conditioned cottage is Rs 1,300 per couple per day, breakfast included.
• The tariff for an air-conditioned room is Rs 800 per couple per day, breakfast included.
• The tariff for a non-air-conditioned room is Rs 600 per day per couple.

Hotel Rajesh, located in the pretty hill station of Mahabaleshwar, is offering a Diwali package.

The package is priced at Rs 1,111 per person for a non-air-conditioned room on twin-sharing basis, for three nights and three days and includes all meals and access to the hotel swimming pool. Children below 10 and above 2 will be charged Rs 666 for this package. An extra adult will be charged Rs 888 for the same package.

The same tariff will be charged to foreign passport holders.

For reservations contact:
Splendid Travels, Bombay, phone: 022-3420609, 3421443, 3432426.
Or Chemi Travels, Bombay, phone: 022-6118994, 6118995.
Or Anil Travels, Bombay, phone: 022-5149066, 5134085.

Sai Inn located at Kihim, on Alibag beach near Bombay, offers a special Diwali season package.

The package is priced at Rs 1,475 per day per person for an air-conditioned double room and includes meals up to Rs 750 limit per day and taxes and children under 12 are free.

The same rates will be charged to foreign passport holders.

The hotel is located across the bay, roughly 15 kilometres away from the Gateway of India in Bombay. There is a regular catamaran service to Mandwa. Buses and autorickshaws are easily available to take one the remaining few kilometres to Kihim. It is possible to reach Kihim by road and it is a three to four hour drive from Bombay. Travellers have reported that the hotel facilties were modest but adequate.

The hotel also offers a special all day picnic package. The package includes tickets on the catamaran going across the bay, breakfast, lunch and late afternoon tea and is priced at Rs 375 per head on a week day and Rs 450 per head on the weekend.

For reservations and more information contact:
In Bombay at phone: 011-2182237, 2181678.

Central Railways will run a special train, with 11sleeper coaches and five general second class coaches, for Diwali between Kurla Terminus, Bombay and Hazrat Nizamuddin, Delhi on November 4.

This train, Diwali Holiday Special 871A, will depart from Kurla Terminus at 1640 hours and reach Hazrat Nizamuddin at 2230 hours the next day.

Bookings for these trains can be made at any of the reservation centres in Bombay from October 20 onwards.

Passengers already wait listed on non-special, regular Howrah bound trains may, on one form, submit a cancellation for the train they were wait listed on and put in a booking for a special train. There is no need to first cancel one ticket and then stand in line to book a new ticket.

Halts: Kalyan, Igatpuri, Nashik Road, Bhusaval, Bhopal, Jhansi, Gwalior, and Agra Cantonment.

These special will return from Hazrat Nizamuddin, Delhi to Kurla Terminus, Bombay on November 11. Diwali Holiday Special 872A Hazrat Nizamuddin-Kurla will depart from Delhi at 1215 hours and arrive in Bombay at 1635 hours the next day.

Central Railways will run three additional special trains, with 10 sleeper coaches, for Diwali between Bombay and Howrah on October 20, October 27 and November 3.

Each of these trains, Diwali Holiday Special 859A, will depart from Bombay Victoria Terminus (CST) at 2240 hours and reach Howrah at 1635 hours two days later.

Bookings for these trains can be made at any of the reservation centres in Bombay from October 16 onwards. However bookings for the train leaving on November 3 have not yet opened.

Passengers already wait listed on non-special, regular Howrah bound trains may, on one form, submit a cancellation for the train they were wait listed on and put in a booking for a special train. There is no need to first cancel one ticket and then stand in line to book a new ticket.

Halts: Dadar, Kalyan, Igatpuri, Nasik, Manmad, Bhusaval, Akola, Badnera, Wardha, Nagpur, Gondia, Durg, Raipur, Bilaspur, Raigarh, Jharsuguda, Rourkela, Chakradharpur, Tatanagar and Kharagpur.

These special will return from Howrah to Bombay on October 24, October 31 and November 7. Diwali Holiday Special 860A Howrah-Bombay will depart from Howrah at 1430 hours and arrive in Bombay at 2240 hours the next day.

The Central Railways will run two Diwali special trains from October 15 to November 6. The trains will be run from Bombay to Varanasi and Bombay to Gorakhpur. Besides this the railways is also augmenting the number of berths in all mail and express trains. Addtional sleeper class coaches are being added.

Whispering Palms Beach Resort, a three star hotel located in a secluded area very close to Candolim beach in Goa, offers a special Diwali package till October 31.

Priced at Rs 1,250 per person for an air-conditioned room on a twin sharing basis. The package is valid for three nights and four days. It includes airport transfers, all meals, a welcome drink, a bottle of wine and a basket of fruit, a half day of free sightseeing and two children under 12 are free (and discounts on their food). A live band performs daily at the hotel.

This package is valid only for Indian passport holders.

For reservations and more information contact: Whispering Palms Beach resort, Candolim, Goa, phone: 0832-276140, 276426, 276427, 276428, 276429, 276430, 276431, 276432, 276433, 276434, 276435 or fax : 0832-276142.
Or in Bombay at phone: 022-6260123 or fax: 022-6234175.
Or in Pune at phone: 0212-634861, 634871 or fax: 0212-624183.

Holiday Inn Manali offers a Diwali package for Indian residents up to November 15.

The package is priced at Rs 9,900 for three nights and four days for a standard room on twin sharing basis. The package includes breakfast, half a day of free sightseeing, discounts at the health club and pub and taxes. Two children below 12 years of age are free.

For more information contact:
Holiday in Manali at 01902-52262/ 52563.
Or at Delhi at 011-3354779.