DETAILED TIMELINE

November 2024 – December 2024
Pre-Production and Story Research

November 2024:
Develop a comprehensive fieldwork plan together with all the team members that will detail specific locations, rituals to document, and logistical arrangements for the next phases of the project as well as permit applications.

December 2024:
Finalize all preparations for fieldwork including securing necessary permits and visas, ensuring all equipment is in optimal condition, doing any additional research or interviews that may be required, finalizing travel arrangements and logistical details.

Fieldwork (2025-2026)

February 2025:
Kathmandu, Nepal (Triten Norbutse Bön Monastery). Approximately 3 weeks.  

In Kathmandu I will document the activities at Triten Norbutse Bön Monastery. This monastery is a center for the study and practice of the Bön religion, housing a community of monks dedicated to preserving spiritual heritage through practices and education.
Charles, Marieke and I will continue to work on the process of transcribing ancient Bön manuscripts by a group of 10 monks, some of which are over a thousand years old. Monks have only 1 year to finish their work of transcribing the texts. After that their input will no longer be required. Their role in all this is to create an AI model that will later work by itself. After that, only a few lamas will be needed that will help with translations and the meaning that comes out of it. Like the abbot of Tinri monastery Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung Rinpoche, and some other highly educated monks. I will make a video interview with the abbot who is also instrumental in Pagan Tibet project.
The main event that I will follow will happen at the beginning of February. There will be a Consecration ritual for the new Triten Norbutse Bön Monastery temple (still being built) followed by the inauguration of the new temple. There will also be a Centenary of Rinpoche’s birth and long life prayers, followed by a Bon conference and a picturesque Geshe ceremony which I will also document.
Additional documentation will cover the daily routines of the monks, including the meticulous art of making “Torma,” butter statues used in ritual offerings. I will capture both still images, short videos and sound recordings along with conducting interviews.

April 2025:
Mustang, Nepal. Approximately 3 weeks  

Time dedicated to documenting the data collection of unique pagan practices in Mustang, Nepal where Charles Ramble, Kemi Gurung and I will visit Lhawön Takla, the pagan priest of Khyengar village, to document a ritual ceremony he will perform at his old temple during which he will wear a traditional turban. The documentation will also cover a local pagan festival celebrating “Yul-lha” the territorial gods of the village. Another significant event is the ceremony in Jharkot village, where locals rebuild semi-divine figures known as “Iwi Meme” believed to protect the community against harmful influences. I also plan to document an animal sacrifice ritual, still practiced in a few villages in the area, to illustrate how these ancient practices continue to play a role in ensuring the well-being of the community. My work in Mustang will also involve recording other daily life activities, including a traditional Bön doctor, Amchi Mr. Gurung, whose knowledge of ancient scriptures opens a window into the spiritual wisdom of the region. I will visit Lubra, the only entirely Bön village in Mustang, to document its unique cultural practices, including the Soul Retrieval “Bla Gug” ritual, performed by Lama Tshulrim and seasonal festivals like Dachang, Yartung, and Dögyap.
Ramble’s expertise in the region and his connections with local practitioners and communities will be invaluable during this phase. His long-standing relationships with local leaders and spiritual figures will facilitate access to sacred sites and private rituals, ensuring that the documentation is both done in trust of those documented and comprehensive.
All these events that I will be documenting are a crucial part of the project and are very urgent since lots of these priests are either very old or are not performing them any more. During the rituals in the field Charles will be collecting data (either textual or audio-visual) employing Automatic Speech Recognition models to facilitate computer-assisted transcriptions of oral recitations. This data collecting is an important part in creating an AI model that will eventually work by itself. 
Short videos (also vertical ones for social media), sound recordings and interviews with pagan priests, local lamas and spiritual leaders will complement the photography.

June 2025:

Dolpo, Nepal. Approximately 4 weeks. 
We will travel to Dolpo with Charles Ramble and Kemi Gurung, another region in Nepal where Bön and Pagan practices are still actively practiced. 
The data collection focus will be on capturing Vampire – subjugation ritual, called Hrinen in a village called Barle and other animistic rituals, ceremonies, as well as daily life in the three Bon communities we will visit – Dunai, Dho Tarap and Ringmo. I will also document visits to the Bon temples, monasteries, Bon stupas, sky burial sites, and household shrines, as well as do interviews with local pagan priests, Bon lamas, and other practitioners. Dolpo’s remote and rugged landscape gives a unique visual backdrop for documenting how these practices are integrated into the community’s daily life. 
Ramble’s expertise in the region and his connections with local practitioners and communities will be invaluable during this phase. His long-standing relationships with local leaders and spiritual figures will facilitate access to sacred sites and private rituals, ensuring that the documentation is both done in trust of those documented and comprehensive.
All these events that I will be documenting are a crucial part of the project and are very urgent since lots of these priests are either very old or are not performing them any more. During the rituals in the field Charles will be collecting data (either textual or audio-visual) employing Automatic Speech Recognition models to facilitate computer-assisted transcriptions of oral recitations. This data collecting is an important part in creating an AI model that will eventually work by itself. 
Short videos (also vertical ones for social media), sound recordings and interviews with pagan priests, local lamas and spiritual leaders will complement the photography.

July 2025:
Shenten Dargye Ling Bön Center, France. Approximately 1 week  

I will visit Shenten Dargye Ling Bön Monastery in France, where Western followers of Bön gather for summer retreats. This monastery is a center for Bön teachings in the West, offering an opportunity to document how these traditions are being preserved and practiced outside of its traditional context. At the time of my visit the center will also hold a Bön Conference Charles Ramble is organizing and will also be lecturing at.
There I will be together with the team members Naljor Tsering and Marieke Meelen and the two French “Tibetofils” with very good knowledge of Tibetan, Elie Roux and Ngawang Tsering. They are the main IT developers that are writing the code and advancing the use of AI tools for the Pagan Tibet project. They work for the two institutions Esukhia, which is dedicated to the TIbetan language and their textual traditions in France which I will also visit and photograph, and with the BDCR (Buddhist Digital Resource Center – largest online repository of Tibetan texts, located in Boston, USA). They are crucial for AI code developing for the Pagan Tibet project. Naljor and Marieke will organize all the necessary meetings in Shenten Dargye Ling Bön Center and Esukhia France with all the crucial people I will have to meet and interview.
The retreat in Shenten Dargye Ling Bön Center will also include teachings, rituals, and cultural events. I will document these events through photography, short videos, sound recording and interviews with Bön lamas, scholars, and also with some Western practitioners. 
This will explore how Bön teachings are being adapted and integrated into a Western context while maintaining their essence. This phase will also include capturing the vibrant community life at Shenten Dargye Ling, where spiritual seekers from around the world come to deepen their understanding of Bön.

October 2025:
Menri Monastery, Dolanji, Himachal Pradesh, India. Approximately 2 weeks  

I will  return to the Indian subcontinent, with a visit to Menri Monastery in Dolanji, Himachal Pradesh, which is the largest Bön monastery in the world. I will document the daily life, rituals, and teachings of the monks and lamas, with a focus on the monastery’s extensive library, which houses some of the oldest Bön texts. An interview with the abbot  H. H. Lungtok Dawa Dhargyal Rinpoche, the 34th Menri Trizin, who is recognized as the spiritual leader of Bön, will offer insights into the current state and future of the Bön tradition. 
Following this, I will travel to Dharamsala, where I will document the work of a nonprofit IT organization Esukhia, dedicated to the Tibetan language and their textual traditions. They are creating a software that is using an AI model to learn how to read manuscripts by itself. There I will be together with my team members Naljor Tsering and Marieke Meelen and also with Elie Roux and Ngawang Tsering the IT developers that are writing the code for the Pagan Tibet projects AI tool. I will also meet with all the rest of the Indian Esukhia crew and document them in their Hi-Tech environment. Naljor and Marieke will organize the necessary meetings in Dharamsala with all the crucial people I will have to meet and interview.
This phase will also include an attempt to photograph and interview H.H. Dalai Lama, who, in 1978, recognized Bön as the fifth religious tradition of Tibet. I have a long established connection with the New York Tibetan house and good relations with its owner Dr. Robert Thurman, a close friend of the Dalai Lama. I have also photographed the Dalai Lama on many previous occasions. Documenting the Dalai Lama’s perspective on Bön will add a significant layer to the project, highlighting the intersection of modern technology and ancient spiritual traditions.
Short videos (also vertical ones for social media), sound recordings and interviews with other Bon lamas and other spiritual leaders will complement the photography.

January 2026:

Ladakh, India. Approximately 2 weeks  
In January of 2026, I will make an additional trip to Ladakh in the winter time, to document the practices of Oracles, Amchis pagan doctors, traditional astrologers Onpos, faith healers or shamans, known as Lha-mo and Lha-po and other pagan practices. These figures continue to play a vital role in Ladakh’s society, serving as spiritual leaders and healers. This data collection and documentation will cover their rituals, ceremonies, and daily life, offering a glimpse into the enduring presence of ancient Pagan traditions in this remote region. 
With my team member Stanzin Nyamgal I will visit Lha-mo Tsering a shamanic healer in Choglamsar and an Oracle festival in Changthang region. We will also go to the Sabu village where the home of Ayu Lha-mo is (the shaman lady I took photos of back in 2008 – she passed away) and visit her son Ayu Lha-po who is now a practicing Oracle. We will also go and visit the Indo-European Brokpa people of Dha and Hanu villages again. They converted to Buddhism in the 19th century, but still worship their own animist pantheon of gods. We will see the preparations for their Bono-na festival which is a thanksgiving to Minaro gods and deities for good crops and prosperity. We will also visit Tyakshi Onpo, (a powerful and endangered astrologic tradition) from Nubra Valley, documenting his protection and other sacred rituals. There are only a handful of Onpos left in the whole Ladakh. I will also document and interview Amchi practitioners in Ladakh, as well as do short videos (also vertical ones for social media) and sound recordings of all of these practices.

Post-Production and Project Distribution (2026)

March 2026 – April 2026:  
Post-Production: Editing and processing of all the visual and audio material collected during the fieldwork. This will include selecting and refining 108 images (54 film-based and 54 digital) that will form the core of the project’s exhibition component. Additionally, I will develop a multimedia presentation that combines these images and video with synchronized music, time-lapse footage, sound recordings, and interviews, creating an immersive experience for the audience. This phase will also include assembling exhibition materials, such as sacred objects, local smells, and sound recordings, that will accompany the visual displays. The post-production process will be meticulous, ensuring the work fully conveys the depth and richness of the Bön and Pagan traditions.

May 2026 – 2027:  
Project Distribution: Launch of immersive exhibitions featuring large-format prints and multimedia installations. These exhibitions will be held at international photo festivals, museums, galleries, and cultural foundations and institutions, reaching a global audience. Each exhibition will be supported by descriptive texts and captions written by Professor Charles Ramble, providing context, deep insight and background for the images, videos, sound recordings and other multimedia content.