2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games (Hindi: 2010 राष्ट्रमण्डल खेल), officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Delhi 2010, was an international multi-sport event that was held in Delhi, India, f ...
was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main stadium of the event, in New Delhi, India. It began at 7:00 pm ( IST) on 14 October 2010 and ended at 9:20 pm (IST). The ceremony included display of martial arts from a number of states of India followed by musical performances and showcasing the culture of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...
, which will host the
2014 Commonwealth Games
The 2014 Commonwealth Games ( gd, Geamannan a' Cho-fhlaitheis 2014), officially known as the XX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Glasgow 2014, ( sco, Glesca 2014 or Glesga 2014; gd, Glaschu 2014), was an international multi-sport ev ...
in Glasgow.
Sequence of events
Anthem
An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short ...
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
n
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europe ...
"
Jana Gana Mana
"" (Sanskrit: जन गण मन) is the national anthem of the Republic of India. It was originally composed as ''Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata'' in Bengali by polymath Rabindranath Tagore. The first stanza of the song ''Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata ...
The cultural programme began with a segment titled ''Agni'', in which skills in eight Indian martial arts forms: Kalaripayattu, Naga warriors, Thangta, Gatka, Silambam, Akhara, Dhan Patta, Talwar Raas were displayed by 800 performers from
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...
,
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil languag ...
,
Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a States and territories of India, state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It ...
,
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the nin ...
,
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
Nagaland
Nagaland () is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in the northeast India, northeastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south and the ...
in an eight-minute act.
''Military Martial Music'' and ''Tribute to Our Motherland
The next segment was the ''Milatary Martial Music'', which comprised the performance by the 650 musicians from fourteen military bands, 17 pipes and drums of a number of regiments and battalions of the
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four ...
. It was followed by the segment ''Tribute to Our Motherland''. It was a performance by 2,010 schoolchildren to the tunes of
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967) is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer and songwriter, popular for his works in Indian cinema; predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films, with occasional forays in in ...
's composition
Vande Mataram
''Vande Mataram'' (Sanskrit: वन्दे मातरम् IAST: , also spelt ''Bande Mataram''; বন্দে মাতরম্, ''Bônde Mātôrôm''; ) is a poem written in sanskritised Bengali by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in the ...
. A group of performers moved in to form the
Ashoka Chakra
Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, ...
at the centre, while the others holding coloured powder dispensers, sprinkled the colours of the Indian flag on the field, in a similar fashion done in the festival of
Holi
Holi (), also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love,The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...". is an ancient Hindu religious festival ...
Parade of the athletes
The athletes of the 71 participating nations entered and paraded the stadium together as one big contingent, signifying the bonds and friendships formed during the Games.
Farewell to ''Shera''
The official mascot of the Games, Shera, was given a musical farewell as he went around the stadium in a vehicle accompanied by Shaan.
Ceremonial handover of the flag
The ceremonial handover of the Commonwealth Games flag segment began with the announcement by the chief minister of Delhi,
Sheila Dikshit
Sheila Dikshit () (née Kapoor; 31 March 1938 – 20 July 2019) was an Indian politician. The longest-serving Chief Minister of Delhi, as well as the longest-serving female chief minister of any Indian state, she served for a period of 15 yea ...
, saying, "In a few moments, the ceremonial flag will be entrusted to your care so that in due time you deliver it to Glasgow." It was followed by the acceptance of the official representative of the 2014 Commonwealth Games host city, Robert Winter, the Lord Provost of Glasgow, who replied, "This duty I willingly undertake to fulfill." Next, the Games flag was lowered with an Army band in the background. The chairman of the organising committee, Suresh Kalmadi received the flag and handed it over to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Tejinder Khanna. He in turn handed over it to Robert Winter. The Flag finally passed to the
Lord Smith of Kelvin
Robert Haldane Smith, Baron Smith of Kelvin, (born 8 August 1944) is a British businessman and former Governor of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Smith was knighted in 1999, appointed to the House of Lords as an independent crossbench pee ...
. He called upon the Commonwealth nations to visit Glasgow in 2014.
Glasgow 2014
First a short video showcasing Scotland's landscapes, people, architecture and culture was played. Next, 352 performers from Scotland performed in a 10-minute segment displaying Scottish culture. The performance began with a lone piper dressed in the Scottish traditional dress but soon a giant structure was inflated and a scene of the
Clyde Auditorium
The SEC Armadillo (originally known as the Clyde Auditorium) is an auditorium located near the River Clyde, in Glasgow, Scotland. It is one of three venues on the Scottish Event Campus, which includes the SEC Centre and the OVO Hydro.
, popularly known as the ''Armadillo'', along with the
Clyde Arc Bridge
The Clyde Arc (known locally as the Squinty Bridge) is a road bridge spanning the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland, connecting Finnieston near the Clyde Auditorium and SEC with Pacific Quay and Glasgow Science Centre in Govan. Prominent featur ...
and the
River Clyde
The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
flowing below was depicted. The performance ended with the inflatable structure morphing into the
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster ( gd, Uilebheist Loch Nis), affectionately known as Nessie, is a creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or m ...
and the cast then exited the stadium to the tune of
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
"I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" is a song written and performed by Scottish duo the Proclaimers, and first released as the lead single from their 1988 album '' Sunshine on Leith''. The song reached number 11 in the UK Singles Chart on its initial re ...
by
The Proclaimers
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...
.
Closing events
Prince Edward, the vice-patron of the Commonwealth Games Federation, formally declared the 19th edition of the Commonwealth Games closed. Michael Fennell, the chairman of the CGF presented the David Dixon award to
Trecia-Kaye Smith
Trecia-Kaye Smith (born 5 November 1975 in Westmoreland, Jamaica) is a Jamaican athlete competing mainly in triple jump.
Career
In college, she competed for the University of Pittsburgh from 1996–1999 and was a seven-time NCAA national champ ...
of
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispan ...
who won a gold medal in the women's triple jump event.
''Universal Music of Love''
The 30-minute segment titled the ''Universal Music of Love'' comprised Sufi, folk, Indipop and world music performances. The performers include
Kailash Kher
Kailash Kher (born 7 July 1973) is an Indian music composer and singer. He sings songs with a music style influenced by Indian folk music and Sufi music. He was inspired by the classical musicians' Pandit Kumar Gandharva, Pandit Hridayna ...
,
Taufiq Qureshi
Ustad Taufiq Qureshi (born 1962) is an Indian classical musician. He is a percussionist and a composer.
Early life
Born in Mumbai, to the legendary tabla player, Ustad Alla Rakha. His eldest brother is a tabla player, Ustad Zakir Hussain. He r ...
,
Sukhwinder Singh
Sukhwinder Singh (born 18 July 1971) is an internationally acclaimed Indian playback singer who primarily sings Bollywood songs. He is famous internationally for singing " Jai Ho" from the film '' Slumdog Millionaire'' which won an Academy Awa ...
,
Shiamak Davar
Shiamak Davar is an Indian choreographer, noted as one of the first to bring contemporary jazz and western forms of dance to India.Shubha Mudgal,
Shankar Mahadevan
Shankar Mahadevan (born 3 March 1967) is an Indian singer and composer who is part of the Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy trio that writes music for Indian films.
Personal life and early career
Shankar Mahadevan was born in Chembur, Mumbai into a T ...
,
Ila Arun
Ila Arun is an Indian actress, TV personality and Rajasthani folk and folk-pop singer. She has appeared in many prominent Bollywood movies such as '' Lamhe'', ''Jodhaa Akbar'', '' Shaadi Ke Side Effects'' and '' Begum Jaan''.
Personal life
...
Usha Uthup
Usha Uthup Iyer (born 7 November 1947) is an Indian pop, filmi, jazz, and playback singer who sang songs in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. "Darling", which she recorded with Rekha Bhardwaj for the film '' 7 Khoon Maaf'', won the Filmfare ...
and
Sreeram
''Sreeram'' is a 2002 Indian Telugu-language action masala film starring Uday Kiran, Anita Hassanandani and Ashish Vidyarthi. This film was directed by V. N. Aditya and produced by Burugapally Siva Rama Krishna. Music was scored by R. P. Patnaik. ...
. About 1000 dancers also performed in this segment.
Gallery
File:The artistes performing, at the closing ceremony of XIX Commonwealth Games-2010 Delhi, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in New Delhi on October 14, 2010.jpg, Singers' performances at the closing ceremony
File:A magnificent view of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium during the closing ceremony of XIX Commonwealth Games-2010 Delhi, in New Delhi on October 14, 2010.jpg, Singers' performances at the closing ceremony (Aerostat showcases Indian culture)
File:The artistes performing, at the closing ceremony of XIX Commonwealth Games-2010 Delhi, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in New Delhi on October 14, 2010 (2).jpg, Singers' performances at the closing ceremony
File:Laser Show on display, at the closing ceremony of XIX Commonwealth Games-2010 Delhi, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in New Delhi on October 14, 2010.jpg, Laser light show at the closing ceremony
File:Bollywood artistes Taufique Qureshi and Sunny Sarid performing at the closing ceremony of XIX Commonwealth Games-2010 Delhi, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in New Delhi on October 14, 2010.jpg, "Utho Jiyo Badho Jeeto", official song of the Games played at the closing ceremony
File:Bollywood Singers Kailash Kher, Sreeram, Shubha Mudgal, Anandan Sivamani, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shiamak Davar, Usha Uthup, Shankar Mahadevan, Ila Arun and Raghav Sachar perform.jpg, One Love song performed by the Indian singers
Dignitaries in attendance
*
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibl ...
- Vice Patron of the
Commonwealth Games Federation
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), currently known as Commonwealth Sport, is the international organisation responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games, and is governing body of th ...
* Michael Fennell - President of the
Commonwealth Games Federation
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), currently known as Commonwealth Sport, is the international organisation responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games, and is governing body of th ...
*
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh (; born 26 September 1932) is an Indian politician, economist and statesman who served as the 13th prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is also the third longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indi ...
- Prime Minister of India
*
Hamid Ansari
Hamid refers to two different but related Arabic given names, both of which come from the Arabic triconsonantal root of Ḥ-M-D (ِِح-م-د):
# (Arabic: حَامِد ''ḥāmid'') also spelled Haamed, Hamid or Hamed, and in Turkish Hamit; it ...
- Vice-President of India
*
Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi (''née'' Maino; born 9 December 1946) is an Indian politician. She is the longest serving president of the Indian National Congress, a social democratic political party, which has governed India for most of its post-independe ...
- Chairperson of
United Progressive Alliance
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is a centre-left political alliance of predominantly left-leaning political parties in India. It was formed after the 2004 general election with support from left-leaning political parties when no single par ...
*
Sheila Dikshit
Sheila Dikshit () (née Kapoor; 31 March 1938 – 20 July 2019) was an Indian politician. The longest-serving Chief Minister of Delhi, as well as the longest-serving female chief minister of any Indian state, she served for a period of 15 yea ...
- Chief Minister of
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders wi ...
*
Tejendra Khanna
Tejendra Khanna (born 16 December 1938) is the former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi twice, from January 1997 to April 1998 and again from April 2007 - July 2013. He also served as Chancellor of Delhi Technological University, Indraprastha Insti ...
- Lieutenant Governor of Delhi
*
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond (; born 31 December 1954) is a Scottish politician and economist who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. A prominent figure on the Scottish nationalist movement, he has served as leader o ...
- First Minister of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...
*
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Mahinda Rajapaksa ( si, මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ, ta, மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ; born Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa; 18 November 1945) is a Sri Lankan politician. He served as the President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to ...
- President of
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
See also
*
2010 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the 2010 Commonwealth Games was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main stadium of the event, in New Delhi, India. It began at 7:00 PM ( IST) on 3 October 2010 ending at 10:00 PM (IST) displaying India's varied cu ...