Commonwealth Games off to colourful start

• Pratibha Patil declares Games open; Prince Charles reads out a message from the Queen
• India switched on its spotlights on Sunday evening to display its new vibrant, energetic and progressive avatar providing its guests from the Commonwealth nations a glimpse of its art and culture at the opening ceremony of the Games.
• The show left the audience upbeat and restored the country's pride that had been so badly bruised in the weeks gone by
• Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar handed over the much-travelled Queen's Baton to Prince Charles. Boxer Vijender Singh carried the baton into the stadium, passed it to five-time world women's boxing champion Mary Kom before it reached shooter Samaresh Jung and Sushil.
• The sombre spirit was lifted with the rising of the aerostat — the much-talked about helium balloon costing over Rs. 40-crore — that spectacularly displayed the magnified images of the happenings on the ground below.
• The 'Rhythms of India,' a vibrating five-minute show comprising 800 drummers set the tempo. Thereafter, 1,050 school children from the capital performed choreography of Namaste, an acknowledged sign of welcome and respect to the guests.
• The song, Swagatam, smartly incorporated nuances of Hindustani, Carnatic and Qawwali forms of music, with the credit for this fine fusion going to noted singer Hariharan.
  
• The customary athletes' parade was headed by Australia, the superpower in Commonwealth sports.
•  India, led by Olympic champion shooter Abhinav Bindra, brought up the rear to thunderous ovation. Never before would an Indian contingent have turned out so smartly for any Games.
• Bindra later took the athletes' oath and among various presentations that followed, the "Great Indian Journey" encapsulated 5,000 years of Indian culture, after an eye-catching presentation by the Indian Railways.
• The grand finale featuring music composer A.R. Rahman was a fitting one, with his Jai Ho turning out to be more popular than the theme song, Jiyo Utho Bado Jeeto.
• Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi was booed by a section of the crowd.