By Bobilli Vijay Kumar

In the end, it turned out like a perfect Indian wedding. Shrugging off all the heartburns, last-minute snafus and accompanying chaos, everything fell into place; and it left both the baraatis and the dulhanwaalahs, with huge smiles on their faces.

The next few days will tell us if the honeymoon too, if not the marriage itself, will be as successful.

A festive crowd of almost 60,000 packed the stadium and lustily cheered through the ceremony.

They applauded former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (who got the biggest hand), UPA chief Sonia Gandhi, Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit and other luminaries. They gave the performers a rousing reception. They stood up spontaneously and clapped and whistled for the Indian team. And, in a truly moving moment that warmed the hearts of even the most cynical, they reserved the second-biggest round of applause for the Pakistani contingent.

The only break in the bonhomie came when Organizing Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi was booed as he began his speech. But the joy of the occasion took over, with Kalmadi concluding to cheers, though he referred to Kalam as Abdul Kalam Azad.

In three spellbinding hours, light, colour and technology merged to present a well-conceived and immaculate show. In the same space, India managed to showcase its rich history, culture and higher learning to the world.

Two complaints: It would have been nice to have had a greater Bollywood presence. The most popular symbol of Indian contemporary culture was clearly inadequately represented. And we could have done with fewer longwinded speeches.

On the positive side, the Nehru Stadium looked like a bride through the evening. It dazzled like a diamond, showing off its rubies and sapphires or emeralds and pearls intermittently. Up above, the aerostat hovered proudly like a giant spaceship, spewing colours and designs that would easily be at home in some other planet.

The theme of the show was quite evidently, unity in diversity. It couldn’t have been more appropriate, coming just a few days after the country peacefully accepted a court verdict on one of its bitterest disputes.

– Times News Network

Loud cheers for Pakistan

The loudest applause, predictably, was reserved for the Indian contingent. But what surprised many, perhaps even the participating athletes, was that the 60,000-plus crowd chose Pakistan for the second-loudest cheer.

If sheer crowd applause was any measure of the popularity of the participating countries, the 54-member Pakistani delegation, distinct in their green coats, was by far the most loved after India. Of course, the Indian delegation, led by flag-bearer Abhinav Bindra, was received with a standing ovation across the stadium, with even President Pratibha Patil and Prince Charles standing up to welcome the participants. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was the last to sit down after the resounding applause that lasted several minutes.

– Indian Express

A little bird said…

“In one astonishing moment, the entire

Jawaharlal Nehru stadium roared a welcome to the Pakistan contingent last night at CWG. Bet even they were surprised. An abiding memory of a new India”

– facebook comment from Rajiv Ramanujam, New Delhi.

“Confirmed – Loudest Cheers for India & Pak Teams”

– tweet from Sunjay JK

“The special applause for the Pak contingent at CWG Delhi, did it get wide mention in Pak media?”

– tweet from Dillidurast