Boasting 1.26 billion people, the Queen’s Baton will spend six days touring India before it is due to depart on October 9.

Hosts of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in 2010, India will be hoping to improve on their fifth place finish in the medals table at Glasgow 2014 in Australia next year.

During the Baton’s visit, it will attend a workshop to discuss women’s participation in sport in India, while also visiting iconic landmarks including the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Taj Mahal and the Qutub Minar.

Rio 2016 Paralympic Games shot put F53 silver medallist Deepa Malik was the first Indian to hold the baton.

The Taj Mahal is scheduled to welcome the Baton later today and will then be taken to Uttarakhand, where it will be on display on tomorrow and Friday (October 6).

The Baton is set to return to New Delhi for a Relay ceremony on Sunday (October 8), after which it will be taken to Bangladesh.

The Asian leg of the Relay has seen the Baton already visit Pakistan.

After stopping in India the Baton will tour Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore.

It then moves to Oceania, eventually landing back in Brisbane in Australia on Christmas Eve, just 100 days before the Games begin.

The Baton contains a message from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, that calls on the Commonwealth’s athletes to come together in a peaceful and friendly competition.

The message will be taken from the Baton and read at the Opening Ceremony of Gold Coast 2018 on April 4. 

Prince Charles will officially open the Games in place of the Queen.