Agra gears up to welcome Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton on Monday

 Preparations were in full swing in Agra, the city of Taj Mahal, to welcome Queen's Baton for the Commonwealth Games 2010 on Monday.

School children, who will perform on the occasion of Queen's Baton arrival, were busy practicing for the preparations in the Eklavya Sports stadium on Sunday.

These students are very excited to perform on this special occasion.

Skydiving team 'Akash Ganga' of the Indian Air Force will perform a free fall from a height of 15,000 feet.

"This is my unique experience and before this our team have jumped many times and we have never conducted such a big show in Agra, which is a unique experience for us," said A.K Yadav, a member of the Akash Ganga team.

During the practice session, a skydiver, dressed up in the attire of the Commonwealth Games mascot 'Shera' also performed the free fall during the practice session to promote the upcoming mega sports event.

"The main logo of the mascot is 'Come Out and Play' and through this adventurous sport I am trying to convey the same message with the team of Akash Ganga," said Yadav.

The Queen's Baton Relay, similar to the Olympic Torch Relay, is a relay around the world held prior to the beginning of the Commonwealth Games.

The Baton carries a message from the Head of the Commonwealth, currently Queen Elizabeth II.

The Relay traditionally begins at Buckingham Palace in London as a part of the city's Commonwealth Day festivities. The Queen entrusts the baton to the first relay runner. At the Opening Ceremony of the Games, the final relay runner hands the baton back to the Queen or her representative, who reads the message aloud to officially open the Games. By Brijesh Kr. Singh