The Hindu Crossword No. 9397 Saturday, December 06, 2008

Across

 1 Little woman on ship (a sick model) caught with Chinese incense (4,5) JOSS STICK

 6 Hurts the charges (5) COSTS

 9 Fruit for Guruvayoor leader taking part in Onam celebrations (5) MANGO

10 Capacitors blow up without phosphorus in San Jose country (5,4) COSTA RICA

11 Vocal crowd follows the peacekeepers when not given an audience (7) UNHEARD

12 Princess shelters one breaking law in festival (6) DIWALI

14 Inert explosive (5) NITRE

15 Aerial gun goes off, causing acute pain (9) NEURALGIA

17 Get going with a set of tools to assemble tracks inside (4-5) KICK-START

19 Abuse for slogging and missing out on a 6 (5) SLANG

20 Vehicle from the east to swerve around in the tunnel (6) SUBWAY

22 Policeman in cricket side needs cooked rice (7) OFFICER

24 Bad luck hidden in letters that Artemis chanced upon (9) MISCHANCE

25 Cut down the slight hope, reportedly, for the Indian TV channel (5) RAZEE

26 Harry’s best friend is sent back inside to fetch the varnish material (5) RESIN

27 Songs and drinks for Oriental at peace (9) SERENADES

Down

 1 State the bone of contention between two neighbours (5,3,7) JAMMU AND KASHMIR

 2 Awfully tiny chest that is man-made (9) SYNTHETIC

 3 Seasoning herb will go bad when put back inside the closet (7) STORAGE

 4 Minor attendant (10) INCIDENTAL

 5 Make up companion for a relationship on the mend (4) KISS

 6 Czech website replaces firm backing music producer, an old Russian royal (7) CZARINA

 7 *Pole in Oriental country is decapitated (5) SHINA?

 8 *Anagrams ‘sir held’ by mistake (8,7) SHALIMAR GARDENS

13 Gavel pounder outside the court (10) AUCTIONEER

16 I entered a Czech site and tentatively agreed about it being made Hellenic (9) GRAECIZED

18 *Cook enchiladas without dal (7) SIACHEN

19 *Boy catches note turning up in French website (7) SAFFRON

21 Ground in Quirimbas Islands (5) BASIS

23 Headache resulting from missing the first additional payment (4) (-P)ANGS?