Diwali: Stories Behind the Festival

Clues in this puzzle

Across

• Lakshmi emerges from the churning of the ___ of Milk (5)
• Auspicious forehead mark applied to brothers at Bhai Dooj (5)
• Describing the celestial cycle that brings Diwali's new moon (5)
• One of the two royal favors that Rama's stepmother called in (4)
• Rama's father, bound by two promises to his queen (10)
• Ten heads, one formidable opponent for Rama (6)
• Projectile Rama uses to bring down his ten-headed foe (5)
• Religious identity of someone marking Mahavira's nirvana at Diwali (4)

Down

• Lakshmi's feathered mount in many traditional depictions (3)
• City whose returning prince is welcomed with rows of glowing lamps (7)
• Valmiki's Sanskrit epic of a prince's exile, his wife's rescue and his return to the throne (8)
• Half-brother who rules on Rama's behalf, keeping Rama's sandals on the throne (7)
• Hindu month whose new-moon observance marks Diwali in many calendars (7)
• Weapon snapped by Rama to win Sita's hand (3)

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