The Games open was declared by Prince Charles after receiving a relay baton that had traveled some 170,000km through all the Commonwealth nations. Teams arrived to find the athletes' village uncompleted and dirty, a new footbridge next to the main stadium collapsed injuring dozens of workers, and concerns about health, security and transport have also been high.
People were not so keen, but hen it came to forgiving Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the organizing committee and the face of the troubled Games, whose speech was greeted by an angry chorus of jeers.
As the Delhi skies darkened with Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of York, the ceremony kicked off, and who introduced to the crowd before drummers beat out the "rhythm of India" accompanied by traditional Shankha trumpeters.
Southeastern Indian, Keshav, a seven-year-old prodigy tabla player ed 100 tribal drummers in a percussion section as applause from a rapturous audience built to a crescendo.
The "Aerostat", an allegedly US$9 million white helium-filled balloon, rose 25m above the ground when the show began. The balloon housed cameras, laser projectors and mirrors providing a 360-degree screening experience as nearly 3000 fireworks danced around the rim of the stadium and lit up the Delhi sky.
According to local media reports, on the opening and closing ceremonies, enlisting an army of choreographers, designers, producers, suppliers, consultants, engineers and administrators, India has spent approximately US$34 million.
Athletes from the 71 competing nations paraded around the stadium, moved to their seats then the Queen's Baton was brought in and handed to the prince who read out a message from the Queen.
The message said referring to the celebrations marking 60 years of Indian independence and its birth as a sovereign nation in 1947 "It is particularly fitting that the 2010 Commonwealth Games is being held in India."
"I firmly believe that when countries can compete in sports together like this, it helps all nations to search together for peace throughout the world, to everyone, I send my very best wishes for what I hope will be the experience of a lifetime." it added.
India's diverse cultural heritage was celebrated by a procession of wedding guests, mystics and artisans, a human train, tuk-tuk drivers and thousands of folk dancers before the final act Oscar-winning "Slumdog Millionaire" composer A.R. Rahman singing the self-penned theme song of the sporting extravaganza.
The Games will be held with 16 sports, with England and Australia expected to dominate the medals tally.
Watch Commonwealth Games 2010 Opening Ceremony Video Online
