Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama was discharged from hospital on Thursday, nearly a week after undergoing surgery to remove gallstones, an aide said.

The 73-year-old was admitted to a New Delhi hospital with abdominal pain last Thursday and underwent keyhole surgery the following day.

Walking out of the hospital, the Nobel laureate waved and smiled at a group of well-wishers who had gathered to see him, before stepping into a bullet-proof car.

"I am extremely happy with the treatment given and I had a pleasant stay here," the Press Trust of India news agency quoted him as saying.

The Dalai Lama's spokesperson, Tenzin Takhla, told AFP the revered monk had "fully recovered" but would be staying in Delhi "for a few more days".

"He will resume his normal travel schedule at the end of the month," Takhla added.

Pradeep Chaubey, gastro-surgeon at the Delhi hospital, said the Dalai Lama was "absolutely fit to go back home".

A similar health-related episode in August forced the monk to cancel his engagements and rush to a hospital in Mumbai.

In the weeks preceding his illness, the Dalai Lama had pursued a hectic international itinerary as he campaigned for improved human rights in Tibet while China hosted the Olympic Games.

Beijing has accused him of masterminding riots against Chinese rule in the Tibetan capital Lhasa and neighbouring areas with Tibetan populations in March in order to destabilise the country — a claim he denies.

The Dalai Lama established a base in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamshala after fleeing Tibet in 1959 following a failed anti-Chinese uprising.

AFP