New Delhi, Mar 31 : Having completed 50 years of Tibetans stay in India, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama started a ''Thank You India'' campaign, here in the capital on Tuesday, by offering prayers at various religious shrines.

On this occasion, the Nobel laureate leader offered prayers at a gurudwara, a church and a temple and thanked India for providing political asylum to him and thousands of other exiled Tibetans over the last five decades.

He also appreciated the institutions in India for providing education to the Tibetan youth.

"Since the last 50 years, we have very close relationship with our Christian brothers and sisters. So it''s my duty to express my thanks to Christians and many schools and colleges in India for taking care of the education of Tibetan boys and girls here. Thank you very much," said Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetans, at a Church.

Meanwhile, Tibetan youths distributed sweets to people across the city to express their gratitude to the Indian Government and people for providing them shelter.

"We are very grateful to the Indian Government and people for giving us political asylum for the last 50 years. We are celebrating ''Thank You India'' programme to honour them," said Tenzing Norsang, Joint Secretary, Tibetan Youth Congress.

The Dalai Lama fled from Tibet in 1959 and set up a Tibetan government-in-exile in India, which has an estimated 80,000 followers, after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

On March 10, the Dalai Lama marked his 50 years in exile in India by demanding ''meaningful autonomy'' for his Tibetan homeland.

The year-long ''Thank You India'' campaign will continue for five days in Delhi. (ANI)