MELBOURNE, Australia (AP-CP) _ Shera the lion, New Delhi's 2010 Commonwealth Games mascot, was unveiled at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as the Games flag was handed over to the host of the 2010 multi-sport event during the closing ceremony Sunday.

``Records will be broken, legacies will remain,'' proclaimed a sign inviting athletes and sports lovers of the Commonwealth to share the experience of New Delhi in 2010.

India's sporting luminaries and Bollywood films stars came together with cultural troupes to give the world a glimpse of New Delhi's culture and preparations for its biggest multiple-sports event since the 1982 Asian Games.

``Now we set our sights on 2010 and Delhi,'' Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell said. ``With the inspiration derived from these Games and the standard of excellence that has been set, it will be a hard act to follow.

``But we have every confidence that the bar will again be raised in 2010.''

Alexandra Orlando, who tied a Commonwealth Games record by winning six gold medals, carried Canada's flag at the ceremony.

The rhythmic gymnast from Toronto tied a record first set 28 years ago by Canadian swimmer Graham Smith at the Games in Edmonton, and equalled twice since by Aussie swimmers Susie O'Neill (1998) and Ian Thorpe (2002).

The athletes were seated in the stadium's lower bowl and then came onto to the field en masse, gathering in a giant mosh pit around the centre stage. The Canadian contingent waved flags.

Melbourne hosted the biggest Commonwealth Games, selling more than 1.5 million tickets across 11 days of competition on a 16-sport program that featured the usual athletics and swimming events as well as lawn bowls and netball.

Australia's domination of a fifth consecutive Commonwealth Games _ winning a record 84 gold medals and 221 overall _ was bookended by opening and closing ceremonies attracting 80,000-plus crowds, supporting Melbourne's claim as Australia's sports capital.

Canada's 253 athletes won 86 medals _ 26 gold, 29 silver, 31 bronze _ to finish third in the standings behind Australia and England.

Australia spent 450 million Australian dollars (632 million Cdn) on the Games and among the expenses was the refurbishment of the main venue _ the Melbourne Cricket Ground that also hosted the 1956 Olympics.

Earlier, in a taped address to the crowd, comedic character Dame Edna, played by Australian actor Barry Humphries, poked fun at the U.S. and Canada.

``I do have important things to do at the moment, carrying the message _ the Melbourne message _ to those poor possums in the United States, who have no idea why they haven't been invited to participate in the Commonwealth Games,'' she said. ``They don't even know where Australia is, poor darlings, or anywhere else for that matter, bless them.

``Thank goodness the Canadians do. A wonderful little country, which was joined to Australia in the jurassic period. Did you know that? I know it, because they found caves in Alberta containing fossils of women exactly like me.''

Nearly 9,000 pyrotechnics blasted inside and outside the stadium. The night sky was lit up as fireworks were shot off from the tops of office towers and along the nearby Yarra River.

In a celebration of Melbourne's mix of sports and the arts, players from the 16 Australian Football League danced in the opening sequence with Melbourne ballerinas.

Entertainment included Australian singers Ben Lee, The BodyRockers and Sarah Blasko. And in the moving musical finale John Farnham, who once fronted Little River Band, was joined by bagpipers in performing You're The Voice to a crescendo of fireworks.

The 85,000-strong crowd at the ceremony saw an 11-minute presentation depicting the culture and heritage of India.

New Delhi has been elected as only the third city from a developing country to stage the Commonwealth Games that bring together athletes from 71 countries and territories that once formed the British empire.

The others were Kingston, Jamaica, in 1966 and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in '98.

Halifax is bidding to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

As a symbol of the baton being passed on, the Commonwealth Games flag was handed over to New Delhi's representative Chief Minister Sheila Dixit, turning the spotlight on the Indian capital.

Eight hundred Indian performers in colourful saris and clothes came into the arena after a video clip depicting New Delhi's history and its tourist attractions.

Former Indian cricket captains Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, field hockey World Cup winning skipper Ajitpal Singh, tennis player Vijay Amritraj, All England badminton champion Prakash Padukone and athlete Milkha Singh, the Flying Sikh, featured among the sport stars who escorted Shera into the arena.

Former Miss World Aishwarya Rai, Rani Mukherjee, Priyanka Chopra, ex-Miss Universe Lara Dutta, and Saif Ali Khan _ a top actor and son of former Indian cricket skipper Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi _ were the Bollywood stars who took part.

Drum beaters from northern India's Punjab state built up a crescendo.

Slow off the blocks, New Delhi's preparations are now picking up pace with the spreading wings of a Metro and plans to build a new athletes' village.

New Delhi has to build some new stadiums, but others _ built for the 1982 Asian Games _ need to be upgraded.

After 2010, the Indian capital is seeking to bring the 2014 Asian Games back to the place of its birth.

India was fourth in the standings with 22 gold medals and 50 overall, although its campaign was marred by a late doping scandal involved two weightlifters _ who competed and one who was withdrawn.

Those hearings were twice adjourned in Melbourne, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport expected to hand down a ruling next week.

Apart from charges of indecent assault levelled against an Indian masseur _ who appeared in court the day of the March 15 opening ceremony _ and a Bangladeshi runner _ who faced court on the penultimate day _ security breaches were minimal.

Four juvenile criminals escaped a detention facility adjoining the athletes village and spent less than a minute running across a vacant block inside before being recaptured by police.

There was nothing stopping those wanting to leave the village. After a Tanzanian boxer and a Bangladeshi runner went missing, 14 members of the Sierra Leone team left in groups.

At the request of team officials, games organizers revoked accreditation for the Sierra Leone athletes, meaning they would become illegal immigrants as of midnight Sunday unless they contacted authorities.

Leaders of the old Empire came back, with British monarch Queen Elizabeth II opening the games and British Prime Minister Tony Blair arriving in time for the closing.