The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 46, Sunday 08 Mar 2026, Arden

WOMENS DAY GREETINGS

Artwork by Prasanna

Rangoli by Gowri

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ACROSS

1   A man on either side of police party - the head of state is a polymath (3,2,4,5)

10 Calling for service in court (5)

11 Record gold - detailed post indicates the rank (9)

12 Heavy responsibility over lifting the mineral (7)

13 A country taking a leaf (from the top) out of another (7)

14 Exercise concluded finally by the stream (5)

16 Prime adjustment goes into money for carpet (9)

19 Mustangs take years to train for rapid eye movement (9)

20 Finally, purge by any other name is still a purge (5)

22 Part of government holding is recovered from mint (7)

25 Fish cut and consumed first (7)

27 Setter accommodates kennels (3,6)

28 Done three times to get rid of husband in an instant (5)

29 Windcheater in turn is part of the fireworks (9,5)

DOWN

2   Came with aides to organize schools (9)

3   Best to be not in party (5)

4   Married men, to start with, are lost hopelessly in a turmoil (9)

5   One of many - a lazy beast in custody (5)

6   Light inset maybe for a disputed territory (9)

7   It turns both ways (5)

8   Set out for a tie-up with a flight attendant (7)

9   Tender for electric wire (6)

15 See them as breaking internal order - it's terrible (9)

17 Spooner's landlord will fix in double quick time (4-5)

18 After a study, discover one is part of our DNA (9)

19 Not late in moving declamation - always on the move (7)

21 A thankless job protecting these joints (6)

23 Thing about darkness (5)

24 Health drink for a girl, second time (5)

26 Leave the trench (5)