Hindi Crossword Contest: Announcing the Winner

Thanks for your enthusiastic response to the Hindi crossword contest. This was the first time we created something of this kind and it's wonderful to see that Hindi cryptic crosswords have so many takers.

Before announcing the winner's name, the annotated answers to the crossword:

आर-पार

क्रमांक	संकेत	उत्तर	टिप्पणी
1	शराबी चुनाव मे भाग ले सकता है (4)	मतवाला	D&CD; Definition 1: शराबी. Definition 2: "मत"-वाला = one with the right to vote.
4	छोटी अनुपमा हो या अनुराधा, शायद मंगल कर दे कृपा (4)	अनुग्रह	Definition: कृपा. अनु (short form of अनुपमा or अनुराधा), ग्रह (मंगल, perhaps - D-by-E)
8	मधुबन से फूटा हुआ बम निकाल कर रचा हुआ संगीत (2)	धुन	Definition: संगीत. मधुबन - बम*
9	मतलबियों के होंठ (2)	लब	Definition: होंठ. Answer hidden in मतलबियों.
10	जंगल में तमाशा (भाग १) - ' मातृभूमि ' (3)	वतन	Definition: मातृभूमि. वन (जंगल) contains त[माशा]
11	सचिन ने इनको त्यागा ? सत्य है (2)	सच	Definition: सत्य. सचिन - इन
12	चिराग का मालिक, जॅस्मिन का साथी (4)	अलादीन	DD. Straight definitions point to Aladin.
14	पहले ला, अंत में देख - मिलेगा बड़ा आंकड़ा (2)	लाख	Definition: बड़ा आंकड़ा. ला + ख
17	यह सीमा बताए कि किसके होने से जब है जान पिक्चर बने ? (2)	तक	Definition: यह सीमा बताए. With तक inserted, 'जब … है जान' becomes the name of a movie.
19	किसी भी दिशा मे प्रणाम (3)	नमन	Definition: प्रणाम. Palindromic answer.
21	रेल का बदलना कड़वा है (3)	करेला	Definition: कड़वा है. (रेल का)*
24	अमृतराज की जीत ? (3)	विजय	DD. विजय (अमृतराज) and जीत.
25	मरुभूमि जैसा है...किसी तरह से ले तीर और आ (3)	रेतीला	Definition: मरुभूमि जैसा है. (ले तीर आ)*
26	नेता लोग इस के साथ जनार्धन को भी जोड़ लेते हैं (3)	जनता	CD. Reference to the phrase 'जनता जनार्धन'.
28	नूतन है, पूँछ काटो तो भी (3)	नवीन	Definition: नूतन. नवीन and नवी i.e. नवी(-न) both mean "new".
30	मदन, न जा ! देख उत्साह (2)	मद	Definition: उत्साह. Let न go from मदन, to see मद.
33	एक का आधा इसे देता है, पर देता नहीं ? (2)	मत	Definition: नहीं. Half of 1A (मतवाला) gives  मत, which means नहीं.
35	इस के पंजे का रस, अच्छा लगता है चाय में, बब्बन खान के नाटक मे (4)	अदरक	DD. Reference to its use in tea and the title of Babban Khan's play 'अदरक के पंजे'.
37	बहन, दीक्षा का पहला अक्षर दो बार बोल दो (2)	दीदी	Definition: बहन. 'दी' (दीक्षा का पहला अक्षर) * 2
38	क्रिकेट खेलनेवाला कोहली प्रचंड है (3)	विराट	DD. क्रिकेट खेलनेवाला कोहली and प्रचंड.
39	दुआ के साथ-साथ चिकित्सा का तरीका (2)	दवा	CD. Reference to the treatment most recommended by wise doctors in old Hindi films: 'इन्हे अब दवा की नहीं दुआ की ज़रूरत है'.
40	रामेश्वरं से लौटते हुए अपना ... (2)	मेरा	Definition: अपना. Hidden reversed in रामेश्वरं.
41	... शहर खोजो, जो राजधानी है उस प्रदेश की जहाँ जवाब मिले (4)	लखनऊ	Definition: शहर. लखनऊ is the capital city of 'उत्तर' प्रदेश (i.e. उस प्रदेश की जहाँ जवाब मिले)
42	शास्त्री पर हमला - इसलिए छुट्टी है इस दिन (4)	रविवार	Definition: छुट्टी है इस दिन. रवि (शास्त्री) + वार (हमला)

नीचे की ओर

क्रमांक	संकेत	उत्तर	टिप्पणी
1	अभिनेत्री लड़की शराब सहित (4)	मधुबाला	Definition: अभिनेत्री. मधु (शराब) बाला (लड़की)
2	चेतन या नूतन, दोनों के पास है जिस्म (2)	तन	Definition: जिस्म. तन is contained in चेतन or नूतन.
3	लोभ : लेकर आ ! लंगर चलाना शुरू कर ! (3)	लालच	Definition: लोभ. ला (लेकर आ) + initial letters of लंगर चलाना.
5	अनु की लात है बड़ी तेज़ (3)	नुकीला	Definition: तेज़, in expanded form (बड़ी), is [अ] नु की ला [त].
6	अग्नि पूजा हिन्दी में - अँग्रेज़ी में सिगार ? (3)	हवन	DD, Bilingual. हवन (अग्नि पूजा), when spelt in English as "Havana", is a kind of cigar.
7	दिमाग से मनचली चली गयी (2)	मन	Definition: दिमाग. मनचली - चली
12	इस राज्य में बहुत असामी रहते हैं (3)	असम	CD. Play on the word असामी, which means 'customer' as well as a resident of Assam.
13	थोड़ा जल्दी पकाओ, प्रकाश देनेवाला (2)	दीप	Definition: प्रकाश देनेवाला. Answer hidden in 'जल्दी पकाओ'
15	चिट्ठी लिखना खतरे से खाली है रे (2)	खत	Definition: खत. खतरे - रे
16	परेशानी से हुआ अलग (2)	परे	Definition: अलग. Answer hidden in (परे)शानी.
18	पहली तारीख़ से पहले शायर लिखता है ऐसी रचना (3)	कविता	Definition: रचना. कवि (शायर) before ता (पहली तारिख)
19	ये ___ डरे-डरे, ये जाम भरे-भरे, ज़रा पीने दो (3)	नयन	From the song ये नयन डरे-डरे.
20	छोटे विवेकानंद का छोटा नाम (3)	नरेन	Reference to the short form of Swami Vivekananda's childhood name.
21	कभी थे वह राष्ट्रपतिजी, आने वाले समय में साधारण (3)	कलाम	Definition: कभी थे वह राष्ट्रपतिजी. कल (आने वाले समय में) आम (साधारण)
22	शास्त्रीजी का रंग (2)	लाल	DD. ' लाल' बहादुर शास्त्री and रंग.
23	दो कलों के बीच अटका हुआ है यह (2)	आज	CD. कल, आज और कल.
27	यान बदलकर बन गया अट्ठाईस (2)	नया	Definition: नवीन, from 28A. (यान)* = नया
29	देखनेवाला प्रारंभ में वीर क्षत्रिय कन्या को देखता है (3)	वीक्षक	Definition: देखनेवाला. Look at प्रारंभ में वीर क्षत्रिय कन्या i.e. वी क्ष क
31	इसे दो बार मारो और मिट जाये ग़म (2)	दम	CD. Reference to the song Dum Maaro Dum.
32	कदरदान से मिले ऐसी ऊँचाई (2)	कद	Definition: ऊँचाई. From (कद)रदान.
34	जंग की वजह ? तलवार के म्यान में छुपाया हुआ थोड़ा-थोड़ा कड़वा राज़ (4)	तकरार	Definition: जंग की वजह. त...र (तलवार के म्यान) hiding the initial letters of कड़वा राज़.
35	दृढ़ प्रधानमंत्री थे (3)	अटल	DD. दृढ़ and प्रधानमंत्री थे.
36	टाटा की अनमोल चीज़ (3)	रतन	DD. रतन (टाटा) and अनमोल चीज़.
37	अनारकली की आख़िरी मंज़िल ? (3)	दीवार	CD. According to legend, Anarkali was entombed live in a wall.
38	विषय का घातक भाग ? (2)	विष	विष is the deadly part of (विष)य.
40	मेवाड़ से मिला सूखा खजूर, शायद (2)	मेवा	Definition: सूखा खजूर, शायद. From (मेवा)ड़.

Notes on the Evaluation Process

1. 12D: Though असम is the standard Hindi spelling, we accepted both असम and असाम since it was a cryptic definition and the letter in the middle was unchecked.
2. We looked for at least 90% annotation accuracy for the entry to be eligible for the draw.Solutions provided without annotation were not considered. 
3. Answers that were explained correctly but were misspelt due to software issues – e.g. the matra appearing after instead of before a consonant - were accepted.

Applause For…

…the brilliant solvers whose entries were all correct or almost all correct:

Mohsin Ahmed	Deepak Gopinath
Prabhanjan M	Ravi Sinha
Manish Gothwal	Sandhya Jagdish
Rengaswamy Narasimhan	Vipin Nair
Sanket Shrivastava	Tushar Samant
Hanu Tyagi	Raj Sarda
Vinayak Ekbote	Lakshmi Vaidyanathan

Of the 14 above, 9 entries that got 100% of the answers and most of the annotations right were considered for the lucky draw.

Here is a video of the lucky draw, done by Kishore using the randomize function of MS Excel. [RSS/email subscribers: You may have to go to the blog for the video.]

…And The Winner Is…

Vipin Nair!

@Vipin: Congratulations :-) Let me know your choice of gift voucher and I'll send it over.

Thanks to everyone who participated and shared the word about the crossword.

Related Posts:

• Contest: Solve Three Clues and Win a Gift Voucher
• Contest: Participate and Win Afrit's Book 
• Contest: Hindi Cryptic Crossword

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.

Setting a Hindi Crossword: Lessons Learnt and Recommendations

While setting a Hindi crossword earlier this month, we ran into a few hurdles - some anticipated, others unforeseen. Many clues and the grid went through an overhaul to improve variety, balance and fairness.

Sharing with you the key lessons we learnt in the process and, based on our experience, recommendations for setting cryptic crosswords in Hindi.

Note: If you haven't sent it your entries for the Hindi prize puzzle yet, do it now – today ie 25th Oct 2013 is the last day!

1. Grid Checking

The English cryptic standard of 50% checking per light may not be sufficient for a Hindi crossword with syllable-based grid fill, since each crossword cell can contain a consonant-vowel combination of different weight/complexity. e.g. a word like पक्षी checked as प? (50%), is equivalent to PAKSHI checked as PA???? in English (33%).

We tried to get at least these checked:

a. every complex syllable
b. the initial or the end syllable, ideally both. Where that ideal looked infeasible to work with, we let an easy clue compensate for lack of checking.

2. Adjacent Unches

The rule of thumb for a regular English cryptic grid disallows three or more consecutive unches, but a tighter rule is needed for Hindi since one cell gap in Hindi can be equivalent to several in English. e.g. a word like वज्रपात with two unches in the center (व??त) would be extremely hard to crack if the word is unfamiliar to the solver.

We added more lights to the grid to avoid two unches in a row anywhere.

The complexities related to checking might have been eased if we had tried unicode normalization for grid filling – i.e. a consonant-vowel sequence treated independently instead of as a cluster – but that did not seem intuitive. Perhaps it's an exercise other setters could try out. We did make ample use of normalization for wordplay.

3. Grid Size

Since Hindi word lengths are short and checking in the grid is expected to be high, the usual 15x15 turns out to be Jumbo-sized for Hindi. In terms of number of clues, a 9x9 Hindi grid would roughly match with a 15x15 of English.

As against about 30 words of a 15x15 English cryptic crossword, our 11x11 Hindi cryptic crossword had 50 words.

4. Solution Variety

Another impact of short word lengths and more checking is that a Hindi grid risks ending up with many similar-looking lights. The problem is compounded if we use words with reduplicated sounds, a pretty common property of Hindi words. So if one entry in the grid has the matra of ई, the entire corner of the grid might end up laden with words containing ई.

To have more variety in the grid, a conscious effort is required to use words in which consonants/vowels do not get repeated.

5. Interlocking

Some Hindi syllables show up mostly as start points of a word, others as end points, and the intersection of the two sets is limited*. The crossword setter needs to keep a vigilant eye on syllables that appear at junction points of crossing words. Words like तात्पर्य or बुद्धि in an Across light will create deadlock if the last syllable is the initial of a Down light. More such words to avoid: those of the form *णा, *ड़ी, *ज्र etc. The end-points of crossing words need to be watched as well - syllables with say, the matra of ऐ, severely limit grid fill possibilities if they sit in terminal cells.

[* a fact antakshari enthusiasts would be well aware of: compare the preponderance of songs starting with म, ह, न with those starting with ड़.]

6. Complex Ligatures

One way to address interlocking issues is to avoid complex ligatures altogether. No प्रातः, प्रश्न, प्रत्यक्ष or प्रार्थना. This would exclude a number of interesting Hindi words from the purview of cryptic crosswords, which is a loss, but a middle ground has to be found that meets the needs of grid checking as well.

7. Absence of Software

A Hindi crossword setter needs to work the way English crossword setters probably did some decades back – without sophisticated crossword setting tools.  So, to fill a light starting with कू for example, if no reasonable word comes to mind, one has to run through the dictionary.

No word search or anagram software was available to us (if such software exists, let us know!), we set the old-fashioned way. Solvers too would have been similarly hampered.

8. Spelling Flourishes

The fine-grained distinctions between ग and ग़, ड and ड़, or है and हैं, make spell check much harder in Hindi clues than in English. We learnt to proofread closely with the font size enlarged and automatic spell-check off - red squiggles under Hindi words in the English text editor interfere with spotting typos!

9. Word Variants

Some words are listed in the dictionary (we used Bhargava's Standard Illustrated Dictionary compiled by Prof RC Pathak) with more than one way to spell, probably due to regional variations. In such cases, we went along with the spelling we recognised as the more widely accepted one.

10. Clue Types

Treating Hindi consonants and vowels as independent characters (instead of clusters) for wordplay greatly widened the clue type options. As expected, Hindi-friendly clue types such as anagrams, deletions and hidden words were called upon liberally while others like homophones could not be used.

It may be a good strategy to keep an eye on the counts per clue type in Hindi crosswords while clue-writing. However, some Hindi words just don't lend themselves to being clued in multiple ways and a concrete percentage or numeric max-limit may be too restrictive for the setter. We did not impose a structure or specifics on clue type distribution but worked with the general idea of having wordplay diversity.
------------------------

It was tough with all these constraints, but loads of fun nevertheless. If you have tried out setting crossword in Hindi or another language with similar attributes, do share your experience with us.

Related Posts:

• What I learnt in my first stint as crossword setter
• Do you make these mistakes when writing clues?
• Why Hindi and cryptic crosswords do not mix
• ABC of the crossword grid

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.

Shuddh Desi Cryptic Crossword - in Hindi

I wrote once about the characteristics of Hindi that make it incompatible with cryptic wordplay, and what could be done to make cryptic crosswords in Hindi possible. Our ever-enterprising friend Kishore rose to the challenge of creating a full-blown 11x11 Hindi grid - the first cryptic puzzle in the language that I know of.

I am delighted to share the crossword with you. As a bonus for the one who cracks it, there is a prize to be won. It should be easy for anyone who knows basic Hindi, do give it a try.

The crossword has gone through rounds of scrubbing and polishing since the time its first draft reached my inbox last month. The grid was altered, many clues fine-tuned. We learnt some interesting lessons about challenges unique to grid-filling in Hindi, and have recommendations for Hindi crossword setters that I'll share in a separate post. [Update (25th October 2013): Here it is - Setting a Hindi Crossword: Lessons Learnt and Recommendations]

Due to my active interfe… er, involvement in the project, Kishore insists that I take joint credit for the crossword. Since it makes him happy, I solemnly abide by his wish and squeeze my name into the byline. This crossword is “Set by Kishore and Shuchi”.

आर-पार 1 शराबी चुनाव मे भाग ले सकता है (4) 4 छोटी अनुपमा हो या अनुराधा, शायद मंगल कर दे कृपा (4) 8 मधुबन से फूटा हुआ बम निकाल कर रचा हुआ संगीत (2) 9 मतलबियों के होंठ (2) 10 जंगल में तमाशा (भाग १) - ' मातृभूमि ' (3) 11 सचिन ने इनको त्यागा ? सत्य है (2) 12 चिराग का मालिक, जॅस्मिन का साथी (4) 14 पहले ला, अंत में देख - मिलेगा बड़ा आंकड़ा (2) 17 यह सीमा बताए कि किसके होने से जब है जान पिक्चर बने ? (2) 19 किसी भी दिशा मे प्रणाम (3) 21 रेल का बदलना कड़वा है (3) 24 अमृतराज की जीत ? (3) 25 मरुभूमि जैसा है...किसी तरह से ले तीर और आ (3) 26 नेता लोग इस के साथ जनार्धन को भी जोड़ लेते हैं (3) 28 नूतन है, पूँछ काटो तो भी (3) 30 मदन, न जा ! देख उत्साह (2) 33 एक का आधा इसे देता है, पर देता नहीं ? (2) 35 इस के पंजे का रस, अच्छा लगता है चाय में, बब्बन खान के नाटक मे (4) 37 बहन, दीक्षा का पहला अक्षर दो बार बोल दो (2) 38 क्रिकेट खेलनेवाला कोहली प्रचंड है (3) 39 दुआ के साथ-साथ चिकित्सा का तरीका (2) 40 रामेश्वरं से लौटते हुए अपना ... (2) 41 ... शहर खोजो, जो राजधानी है उस प्रदेश की जहाँ जवाब मिले (4) 42 शास्त्री पर हमला - इसलिए छुट्टी है इस दिन (4)

नीचे की ओर 1 अभिनेत्री लड़की शराब सहित (4) 2 चेतन या नूतन, दोनों के पास है जिस्म (2) 3 लोभ : लेकर आ ! लंगर चलाना शुरू कर ! (3) 5 अनु की लात है बड़ी तेज़ (3) 6 अग्नि पूजा हिन्दी में - अँग्रेज़ी में सिगार ? (3) 7 दिमाग से मनचली चली गयी (4) 12 इस राज्य में बहुत असामी रहते हैं (3) 13 थोड़ा जल्दी पकाओ, प्रकाश देनेवाला (2) 15 चिट्ठी लिखना खतरे से खाली है रे (2) 16 परेशानी से हुआ अलग (2) 18 पहली तारीख़ से पहले शायर लिखता है ऐसी रचना (3) 19 ये ___ डरे-डरे, ये जाम भरे-भरे, ज़रा पीने दो (3) 20 छोटे विवेकानंद का छोटा नाम (3) 21 कभी थे वह राष्ट्रपतिजी, आने वाले समय में साधारण (3) 22 शास्त्रीजी का रंग (2) 23 दो कलों के बीच अटका हुआ है यह (2) 27 यान बदलकर बन गया अट्ठाईस (2) 29 देखनेवाला प्रारंभ में वीर क्षत्रिय कन्या को देखता है (3) 31 इसे दो बार मारो और मिट जाये ग़म (2) 32 कदरदान से मिले ऐसी ऊँचाई (2) 34 जंग की वजह ? तलवार के म्यान में छुपाया हुआ थोड़ा-थोड़ा कड़वा राज़ (4) 35 दृढ़ प्रधानमंत्री थे (3) 36 टाटा की अनमोल चीज़ (3) 37 अनारकली की आख़िरी मंज़िल ? (3) 38 विषय का घातक भाग ? (2) 40 मेवाड़ से मिला सूखा खजूर, शायद (2)

PDF format available here.

Notes On The Crossword

1. Word lengths are in syllables e.g. each of the words पहला, प्रथम, प्रदान will be enumerated as (3).
2. Complex consonants go into a single cell e.g. वर्ग will be split into two cells, the first with व, the second with र्ग.
3. In wordplay, the matras may be treated independently of the letters e.g. राम may be anagrammed to give मार or मरा.

Solving Instructions

Send in your completed entries to shuchi [at] crosswordunclued [dot] com, latest by 25th October 2013. Points to note:

1. Solution words should be in Devanagari script. [A tool like Quillpad can be used for typing in Hindi.]
2. Entries should be legible and readable in a standard text or image reader. PNG, Excel, Word formats are all OK. Update (19th October 2013): Included a solution template for sending in your answers. Use it if you like.
3. Entries should contain annotations for the answers. Any annotation format is all right – words or symbols, Hindi or English – as long as how you arrived at the answer is clear.

If you have any related questions, please post them in the comments section.

The Prize

The winner can choose any one of these prizes:

• Flipkart gift voucher worth INR 1000
• Amazon US gift card worth USD 15
• Amazon UK gift card worth GBP 10

The solver with the maximum correct answers will win. In case of ties, the winner will be picked by a computerised lucky draw.

The solution to the crossword and the winner's name will be announced in a follow-up post after 25th October 2013.

All the best. I hope you enjoy solving the crossword as much as we enjoyed setting it.

Update (29th October 2013): Solutions and winner announcement.

Related Posts:

• Why Hindi and cryptic crosswords do not mix
• Kannada crosswords
• Konkani crosswords

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.