The speaker describes the Nak Chö ritual practiced by their ancestors on the maternal side. They raise a pig for a year in the name of their parental deity. When the time for the ritual comes, they carry the pig to Kudung village in Tawang district, Arunachal Pradesh, India and sacrifice it. They stopped practicing the pig sacrifice ritual when their grandmother pass away.

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes her pilgrimage to Buddha Gaya, a Buddhist temple in Bihar, India. They stayed in the way in the open fields on their way to Buddha Gaya by truck. Others took Ngultrum 700 for their trip to Buddha Gaya. From Trashigang district, they took a Bhutanese truck through Rangiya, Hasimara, and Siliguri on the way.

This recording shows the change in construction methods and materials in Thragom village. This block was made by workers and local community members. In the past, house construction was a community affair where everyone lent their hand. In this case, the construction of the house is given to the lowest bidder.

Mr. Koncho Tshering describes how his son helped build the Jarungkhashor stupa located outside Kathmandu, Nepal. Also known as Bouddha, Boudhanath, or Khasti Chaitya, it is one of the oldest stupas in the world. He says that construction and later renovations were funded by selling religious instruments and blessed earth collected from Nepal, India, and Bhutan in the Tawang district, Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Mr. Koncho Tshering discusses his family's migration to Bhutan. His parents and his mother's two relatives migrated to Bhutan from the Tawang district in Arunachal Pradesh, India. He says the main reason for this was the heavy tax in Tawang at the time. He says their parents have to take plank towards Tshona (Tibet) every year, and also pay taxes to Tawang Monastery. After migrating to Bhutan, they stayed in Thragom village.

Mr. Koncho Tshering discusses Tshokhang's history and construction. He says the land for Tshokhang was chosen by Mr. Zhokpo, and Mr. Nagsang and Tandin were the carpenters involved in the construction. He says it was originally much smaller than it is today. After the construction of Tshokhang, every 10th day of the lunar calendar a Bazer Guru and Chenrezig mantra is recited through the sponsorship of villagers.

Residents of Rolam village are cultivating this paddy in Mazhing, near Rolam village after a long absence of rain during the peak season of monsoon. Water for irrigation is allocated based on a lottery system. Conversations among the villagers and children can be heard in the background.

View of rice paddies from Rolam Mazhing toward Thragom village. It is known as Mazhing 'main', meaning it is the main paddy for Rolam village. Conversations among the villagers and children can be heard in the background.

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes bamboo roofing, a common feature for all the houses in Thragom before people started having CGI roofing. In the past, youths would have to walk for around 5 hours to Yabrangtot where they get bamboo, and then travel back to Thragom. They would take a packed lunch for their trip, usually in winter.

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes growing corn and other crops in Thragom village, explaining that corn was the staple diet in Thragom historically. In the past, they would plant during the month of April and harvest during late October to early November. They also plant soybeans, pumpkin, and cucumbers in the maize field. She says that monkeys are the main animals that destroy corn and other crops.

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes farming practices used for staple crops, such as corn, wheat, and buckwheat. She says the community would work on each other's farm on rotational bases, using manure made from a mixture of dry oak leaf and cow dung on the farmland to increase the yield.

Conversation between Lama Wangmo, Chador, and Tshangpa while uprooting paddy seedlings. They say these seeds must be planted for two to three months before being transplanted. Lama Wangmo says that, this year, she was a little late, hence these seedlings are not that good.

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes ritual cakes. She says pond earth was used to make the wrathful ritual cake. Wheat flour was used to make a personal Yidam ritual cake. Only in rare cases was rice flour used. A helper of the Lama will come one day ahead of the ritual ceremony to make the cakes.

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She says that, of all the farming works, the plantation of millet was most sought after. Millet seeds were planted before the arrival of the magpie in the village, and planting millet after the arrival of the magpie was considered late and generally wouldn’t have a good yield. During millet plantation, the workers would share fermented wine using a big ox horn.

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes Nak Chö rituals, explaining that all the ritual cakes were prepared, and only then a pig was killed. This was followed by encircling of ritual cakes with the intestines of the pig. The ritual was performed only once in Thragom. During other early ritual celebrations, it was done in the maternal home of the grandmother.

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She says riddles were part of every mother's teaching to support children's thought processes and to teach them about common mistakes.

Mrs. Humchung is one of the oldest people living in Thragom village. She describes a visit to the Dalai Lama. She says the first visit to see His Holiness in Tawang was quite long. They stayed around a month and a half in Tawang at a relative's house. While waiting for His Holiness, they helped in their fields, took care of house chores, and got wood from the forest.

Lama Tshering and Chote Tshering discuss Kharam, a curse associated with gossip, and rituals performed to ward off the curse. It is considered dangerous to one's health. In Bönism, a lead master will mold a ritual cake and perform a ritual ceremony to ward off these spirits. He will slice the cake and foretell the ritual ceremonies that need to be performed.

Lama Tshering and Chote Tshering discuss how eggs are offered in the Bön ritual to symbolize the heart of a head of the family (usually the mother). In the Bön ritual, garlic, pork, and spring onion are forbidden. They say Shergain Mewang is the wrathful form, whereas Sherab Mebar is the peaceful form. If the people practicing Bön have a sudden sickness, then they offer a butter lamp and cash as an offering to him to recover instantly.

Cheten Tshering and Lama Tshering discuss how Bön considers Guru Rinpoche, using informal language when talking about him. They discuss why eggs are offered in Bön, why pork is forbidden, and the instruments used in Bön traditions. They say that, to fulfill wishes, it is best to pay homage, but for ultimate enlightenment, one must practice Buddhism.

Lama Tshering and Chote Tshering discuss the recent increase in the practice of Kha Bön, where people are appeasing the malicious spirit without formal training. They are seen offering flour mixed with meat, fermented sometimes without meat, and fermented wine to appease spirits that affect us. They say some even perform Bön Nag, where animal sacrifices are required.

Chote Tshering and Lama Tshering, two respected lay monks, discuss Kharam, a curse associated with gossip, and rituals performed to ward off the curse. They say the Kharam ritual in Bön is quite amazing. They build a Kharam Shang (a wooden target made of Rhus Chinensis). They will place that target inside the house and shoot the arrow into it.

Mr. Lama Tshering is an annual ritual performer of Hunchung and other households in Thragom, Rinzentangpang, Bamchang, and Ranjung. He has been performing the ritual for past several years. The religious text that they are reciting is the appeasement of the main deities of the Gelugpa sects of Buddhism. Some of the deities they appease are Damchen Dorji Legpa and his retinue.

Chote Tshering and Lama Tshering, two respected lay monks, recite a prayer for Tshok (feast offering). Tshok offering is part of annual rituals in Thragom village. These offerings are made to Buddha, Bodhisattvas, tutelary deities, dharma protectors, the god of wealth, and deities to bring fortune, success, and a healthier life to the family. This recording was done in the evening after rainfall for half of the day.