Commonwealth baton relay to reach Rajasthan on Sept 22

After travelling through some remotest places like St Helena an island off the west coast of Africa accessible only by boat and the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, the Queen's Baton Relay for the Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi this year, will be traversing through Rajasthan for four days from September 22.

A traditional event that launched every Commonwealth Games since 1958, the baton relay will visit prominent forts, palaces, monuments and of course the Ajmer dargah, while passing through the state. There will be several cultural events and extravaganza accompanying the baton, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the desert state.

"The baton will be in Rajasthan for four nights. Starting from Agra, it will reach Jaipur via Bharatpur. From here it will travel to Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner and from thereon leave for Hisar, enroute to Delhi," said Lt Gen Raj Kadyan (retd), additional director general, Ceremonies & Queen's Baton, Commonwealth Games 2010.

On Tuesday, a Commonwealth Games team held a meeting with officials in Jaipur to work out the nitty-gritties. "We had an interaction with the officials from the sports, tourism, athletics association, transport and education departments. Each department would work out their action plan for the QBR," said Kadyan.

The Queen's baton portrays an intricate fusion of ancient and modern India with the soil from all parts of the country layered on to a fabric that covers the helix-shaped aluminium case. The interweaving of coloured soils, including white sand, deep red, warm yellow, dark brown and an array of other colours creates a very distinctive design, form and texture never before seen in the styling of a Queen's baton.

"The travelling of the baton through Rajasthan is an immense opportunity for the state to showcase itself to the world. The Queen's message to the athletes' is engraved on it using modern laser technology known as micro calligraphy, which is not visible to the naked eye," said Kadyan.

The baton relay will be a unique even for the people of the state as it would enable them to get themselves clicked with one of the longest relays in the history of the Commonwealth Games. At the end of its journey, the baton would have traversed over 1,90,000 km in 336 days. It would have passed through thousands of hands, and travelled by different modes of transport -- land, air and sea.