Panaji, Feb 7 (IANS) Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Monday said that the 21st century should be known as the century of dialogue.

Speaking here in a Goa government sponsored lecture series, the Tibetan leader also said that this century should convince people that any problem in the world can be resolved by dialogue.

"The 20th century was a century of war and bloodshed. The 21st century must be the century of dialogue. This is the message I am taking to thousands across the world today," said the Dalai Lama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

"Every problem can be solved by means of dialogue. This is what this century should show everyone," he said.

"For thousands of years India has been a messenger of ahimsa and religious harmony. This itself is a message to the world," he said.

The Dalai Lama said that attachment to religion and religious symbols was the root cause of communal disharmony.

"I should not develop too much attachment to Buddhism. If I (do that), I become a fanatic. Too much attachment makes you a fanatic," the Dalai Lama said.

The Dalai Lama has lived in India since 1959 when he fled Tibet after a failed anti-Communist uprising. His government-in-exile, not recognised by any country, is based in Dharamsala.