Millennium, according to the Oxford English Dictionary is formed with the Latin word mille meaning thousand + annus that is year, on the analogy of biennium, triennium, etc. The word means a period of one thousand years. Figuratively, a millennium means a period of happiness and benign government. In the context of this write-up the first meaning of the word is appropriate, i.e, a period of one thousand years. So if one starts counting the years from the first year, the first millennium would be complete on the last date of the 1000th year and the 2nd millennium will usher in on the 1st date of the following year and so on. One year refers to one circumambulation of the sun by the earth. Significant events in history have marked the launch of new calendars.

    So it is now beyond doubt that the 3rd millennium of the Christian era will usher in on 1st January 2001, notwithstanding the hype and hoopla of the global market and media. However, the year 2000 can properly be called a millennium year in the sense of being the two thousandth year of the birth of Christ as per the dictionary meaning.

    But how did the new millennium creep into popular consciousness one year before the actual date? The market forces are to blame for this. Like the Y2K, this millennium hype was also sponsored by the markets. Markets denote the selling and buying of goods, thereby moving the wheels of industry and through it the supposed all-round development of the people.

    In the millennium hype some people went for new cars, new refrigerators or new television sets and the crazy ones went after brand new millennium babies. So the markets want us to have two new millennium years consecutively -the fake one followed by the real one, thereby boosting the sales and profits for the industry and the business people. Had it been possible the market would like to declare every day as a new year day and every year a millennium year.

    Every language has its own peculiarities and usage. In English, for example, the usage of teens, twenties, thirties, forties etc. one may suppose that the popular notion has been influenced by this tendency while declaring and accepting the beginning of the new millennium one year in advance. Between 1000 to 1999 all the years began with 1 (one)as the initial number. But with the onset of the year 2000 the initial number of 1 (one) has been replaced by 2 (two). And it seems the majority who celebrated the new millennium on the 1st day of January 2000, misconceived it as the beginning of the new millennium.

    Science and technology has virtually eliminated the concept of space, time and distance. The world has become a global village. The nation states can no longer restrict their citizens’ access to any part of the globe. Therefore, though our national and cultural calendars are different, we cannot ignore the Christian era. It is the most visible form of time measurement in our day-to-day life even though our cultural and religious celebrations take place as per our own calendars. Most of our educated people no doubt have holidays or celebrations based on indigenous calendars but will rarely be able to name the month and day (tithi) of the indigenous calendar. Our present is so much influenced by western education and culture that we have virtually cut ourselves from the roots of our culture and civilisation.

    Mahatma Gandhi would have probably advised us not to do so. The most truthful and pious man of this century said, "I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the culture of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any of them. Mine is not a religion of the prison house, it has room for the least among God’s creations. But it is proof against insolent pride of race, religion or culture".