Queen's baton reaches Gaya, to enter Patna today

The Queen's Baton for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games has reached Bihar. It was greeted by tens of thousands of people and heavy showers.

From the time the baton entered Bihar and till the time it reached Gaya, which was almost 200 kms, no street was left abandoned.

People from all walks of life gathered on side roads to catch a glimpse of the baton. The excitement among the people was palpable.

For the first time, kids from various schools displayed tableaus to welcome the baton to Bihar.

It was quite a sight to see the school girls lined up with their cycles to witness the procession.

The first relay in Bihar was conducted from Kaimurvihar for a kilometre. Prominent baton bearers were Principal Secretary, Bihar Olympic Association Mohammad Mustak Ahmed and a national athletics champions like Jyoti Kumari, Mohammad Tasleen Khan and Ramesh Prasad. Weightlifter Mohammad Sheran Khan was also one of the eminent baton bearers.

Earlier, a plantation drive was conducted at the Krishnawati boating site near Rajghat in Varanasi.

The baton reached the UP-Bihar border at around 10 a.m. The baton will enter Bihar capital Patna today.