India receives Commonwealth Games baton from the Queen

The formal countdown to next year's Delhi Commonwealth Games began on Thursday with the ceremonial Queen's Baton relay, which saw Queen Elizabeth II handing over the glittering baton to President Pratibha Patil in London.Before the Queen placed her message in the handcrafted baton and passed it on to mark the beginning of a year-long relay, a cultural show in sync with India's rich tradition was organised at the majestic Buckingham Palace. The message was engraved onto a miniature 18-carat gold leaf that is symbolic of the ancient Indian palm leaf patras.

It is for the first time that the Head of a State attended the traditional ceremony and received the baton from the Queen. Commonwealth Games Federation Michael Fennell presented the baton to the Queen. President Patil passed on the baton to Indian Sports Minister MS Gill, who handed it over to Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi. From Kalmadi baton reached the hands of first baton bearer Abhinav Bindra, India's only Olympic Gold medallist. With Indian music playing in the background air rifle shooter Bindra began the relay-run and handed over the baton to legendary middle-distance runner Lord Sebastian Coe, waiting just outside the gates of Palace. Coe is also Chairman of the Organising Committee of the 2012 London Olympics.