India dazzles as Commonwealth Games end
- newkerala.com
The curtains came down on the 18th Commonwealth Games in Melbourne on Sunday amid glimpses of the glitz, glamour and razzmatazz that will be seen in the 2010 games in New Delhi.
The closing ceremony that lasted over an hour included performances by various bands, dancers and trapeze artistes, was highlighted by visually pleasing lighting effects at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The much talked about 11-minute segment showcased to the 71 assembled Commonwealth nations why India, powered by the dazzling and talented performers of Bollywood, is seen as a major hub of the multibillion dollar global entertainment industry.
The segment began with a brief audio-visual presentation after which dancer-actress Isha Sharvani performed along with a troupe of dancers.
Bollywood queen Aishwarya Rai took centre stage after this as dancers with petals formed a rose which opened to reveal the former Miss World. Draped in a gold embroidered two-piece ghagra-choli, she moved gracefully to the strains of the Delhi 2010 theme song composed by Vishal Shekar and the Shanker, Eshan and Loy trio.
She was finally lifted up by the accompanying dancers as she folded her hands in welcoming the world to Delhi 2010.
Bollywood stars Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji then occupied the stage for a glamourised folk Punjabi dance number after which singers Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal and choreographer Shiamak Davar belted out the theme song for Delhi 2010 - Delhi Dhamaal.
An entire ensemble of dancers dressed in bright colours had by now occupied the stadium floor dancing along with the main performers, who were on the stage.
Chariots carrying Indian sporting heroes that included Sunil Gavaskar, Milkha Singh, Vijay Amritraj, P.T. Usha, Ajit Pal Singh, Michael Ferreira, Prakash Padukone and Satpal then circled the main performance area with flag bearers following them.
The mascot of the 2010 Games - tiger Shera - escorted by Bollywood stars and former Miss Universe Lara Dutta and former Miss World Priyanka Chopra followed the sports stars.
As the energetic performance reached a crescendo, dancers on the floor formed out the words "Delhi 2010" and the welcome act was complete.
Earlier, the premier of Victoria, Steven Bracks handed over the Commonwealth flag to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit as the next host of the games.
Ace Indian shooter Samaresh Jung was given the David Dixon Award for the most outstanding athlete for his record haul of five gold, one silver and a bronze medal at these games.
Related Links:
Bollywood's taste of Delhi 2010 - melbourne2006.com.au
Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony - Photo Gallery
Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony - Videos
Aaj Tak's Interview with Aishwarya in Melbourne
