An Anchient Ritual

For the first time in a long time I participated in Pradosham tonight. This is a ritual I have always really loved and felt connected to in the Hindu tradition. I was asked to be on the team for the temple, but I turned the offer down (much as I hate to say it a large part of it was teenage spite) But tonight for the first time since last summer I helped again. For some background Pradosham (although I am sorry if that is not the correct spelling) is the day to honor Nandi, Shiva's pet bull, or vehicle. When Lord Shiva was giving Pavaarti the Shiva Sutras Nandi guarded the door so no one would bother them. Which doesn't sound lie much but the only way human kind could have the sutras was through Pavaarthi, and if they where interrupted Shiva said he would stop, and so twice a Month, one day before the full and new moons (or maybe it's just full, I can't quite remember) we honor Nandi.
I love this ritual for two reasons, one I love animals, cows being one of my favorites, and so I think it is really cool that there is a day to honor a cow, sorry bull. Second in India Bidadi Ashram resides real Nandi, I mean living in flesh that was born almost two months early ON Swamiji's birthday. He is a giant black and white bull who only will listen to two people, his caretaker and Swamiji. He also LOVES bananas I would bring him one every day. And he acts like a prince, although he has the right. Anyhow Why I wanted to write this is because I was sitting today helping pass kalashas or pots full of water, milk, and other substances so Nandi could have a bath (that is what we do for Pradosham, Nandi abishakam or a bath for him) I had this amazed realization that the rudram chanting we where listening to and the motions we where acting out and the stone (although he is living) bull in front of us where the same as they had in India even thousands of years ago, doing the same ritual. It was an amazing and humbling realization. Of course it was a different stone, our chants where on a cd and different water was being poured, but people had been doing this EXACT thing for thousands of years the same devotion towards god. It was just really really cool. To say the least. Well gotta get to bed, Sundays are always busy! Please comment!
The picture, I got it off the Bidadi website, is the stone Nandi in Bidadi and Swamiji doing Pancha Tapas or sitting in a circle of fire. I was talking about