By Ben Efe
The Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, launched Sunday in grand style with elements that moved from ancient to modern-day.

An enthusiastic crowd of 60,000 in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi greeted hundreds of performers who opened the ceremonies with Tibetan horns, one of the oldest musical trumpets in the world with origins dating back to 1500 B.C.

COLOURFUL•••The aerostat is seen with a floral presentation during the XIX Commonwealth Games opening ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi . Photo: AFP

As dozens and dozens of horns blared, a massive helium airship began to grow and float up and the audience counted down from 10 to one, at which point the rim of the stadium erupted in torch-like fireworks.

Then hundreds of drummers from various parts of the country hit their instruments as giant puppets danced and floated above them.

The drummers included a seven-year-old musical prodigy pounding on his drums by hand. The driving beat went on for more than 10 minutes as yellow and orange lights pulsed to it.

Singer Hariharan, who pioneered the fusion of traditional Indian music with modern stylings, performed Swagatam as schoolchildren, wearing red, white or green, formed the flag of India.

The children then painted a white cloth above their heads which became Mehndi hands. Mehndi, sometimes referred to as henna tattooing, is a traditional ornate hand-painted decoration that is temporary.

As music played on, the athlete delegations walked into the stadium, first led by Australia, which hosted the last Games in 2006.

More than 100 people from the Canadian delegation of 400 were led in by flag-bearer Ken Pereira, whose family hails from India. The Torontonian is a field hockey player.