We Tibetans have tremendous respect for India as the source of our spiritual culture: Dalai Lama

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the National Democratic Alliance on the "sweeping victory" in the Lok Sabha elections.

"I pray you will be successful in meeting the challenges that lie ahead in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people of India," he wrote in a letter.

The result of the 17th Lok Sabha election has set PM Modi on the course to become the first prime minister after Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi to win a second consecutive five-year term with a full majority.

"India is one of the great ancient civilizations, a distinctive and fundamental feature of which has been ahimsa and karuna - non-violent conduct motivated by compassion," the Dalai Lama said.

"We Tibetans have tremendous respect for India as the source of our spiritual culture. The traditions of Nalanda University brought to Tibet in the eighth century have had a powerful impact on our development," he added.

"Last month marked the 60th anniversary of our life in exile. I would like to take this opportunity to express the Tibetan people's immense gratitude to the Government and people of India. It is due to India''s consistent generosity and kindness to us that we have been able to preserve our ancient cultural heritage in exile," he said further.

The democratically elected leader of the Tibetan people, President Lobsang Sangay also extended heartiest congratulations to PM Modi and the NDA.

In a letter addressed to the prime minister, President Sangay congratulated India and its 130 crore citizens for successfully conducting the world's biggest democratic event ever seen.

"For six decades, India has been a second home and a gracious host to His Holiness the Great Fourteenth Dalai Lama and the Tibetans. No country has done more for Tibetans than India and its generous people," he wrote in the letter.

"To express our gratitude to the Indian government and its people, the year 2018 under the leadership of the Central Tibetan Administration was observed as the Thank you Year with a series of Thank You India events held all over India," he said.