NEW DELHI — Following the tribute of India's President in April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and newly-elected President Ram Nath Kovind have released messages for the occasion of the 200 year anniversary of the birth of Baha'u'llah.

"Baha'i Faith gives the world a vision of universal brotherhood," wrote Prime Minister Modi in his letter to the Baha'i community of India. “Its messages of love and respect aim to make the world a beautiful place that celebrates harmony and peace."

Speaking of the Baha’i community in India, he wrote: "Since the revelation of the Prophet Baha'u'llah, Baha'i Faith has found wholehearted acceptance in India, where one of its most dynamic communities has flourished since then.” And he further commented that institutions such as the Baha’i House of Worship—referred to as the Lotus Temple—“epitomize” the “spirit of fellowship and universal brotherhood.”

President Ram Nath Kovind, who assumed office at the end of July this year, addressed his own message to the Baha'is, writing, "India's well-being depends on the ever greater commitment among its citizens to the principle of unity in diversity...The exertions of the Baha'i community offer hope that the goal of oneness can be achieved."

Other officials in India—including the former President, the Vice President, high-ranking members of the national government, and the Chief Minister of one of the states of India, and a number of local officials—have also released statements in honor of the bicentenary.