This is a personal narrative by the son of Sahngi. Sahngi and Mahngi were two brothers who worked on the farms of Sadruddin, Maaz’s great grandfather. Mr. Toofani first introduces Maaz to Mr. Sahngi’s son and his relative and then leaves for work. Mr. Sahngi’s son narrates some incidences of Sadruddin and his contesting of the Pardhānī (village head) elections. He then talks about Maaz’s family members and his relationship with them. After that, he narrates his early adulthood time spent in Delhi, old times in Sonwārā village, and changing times.

This is a photograph of Shahida Bano reciting a folk song which is being recorded by a recorder in Sonwara village of Azamgarh.

This is a photograph of Toofani Kaka.

This is a retelling of the story of Raja Janmejai and of the King and Queen of Mehnagar narrated by Toofani Kaka

This is a performance of a traditional song by the title Abbā kē nadiā (Eng. The river of father) followed by a discussion on the same. This folksong is sung on the occasion of rukhsatī 'the bride's departure to her husband's home after the marriage'. It describes the differences in the emotional attachment that a daughter has with her mother, father, brother, and sister-in-law. The folksong is in the Bhojpuri language, the mother tongue of Asiya Khatoon, whereas the discussion is in Urdu and somewhat in Azamgarhi.

This is a conversation where Mr. Satsri Mangal, a resident of Chaudhrīpūr in Rāmpūr village, places his demands before Mr. Jameel, the former and currently contesting Pardhān (village head) of Rampur. Mr. Jameel listens to his demands, and then Mr. Satsri Mangal narrates some incidents. After that, Mr. Jameel starts a conversation with the village children who were playing cricket a while ago and gathered around the recording place after noticing some recording taking place.

This is a performance of a traditional song by the title ‘Dulahē kī ammā’ (Eng. O the mother of the bridegroom). In this song, the bridegroom’s mother is asked to bless her son on this auspicious marriage occasion. Such folksongs are of great significance to the community; however, until recently, their popularity and importance have started dwindling because of the penetration of urban culture into rural society. This folksong is in the Eastern dialect of Urdu.

This is a story about a king who once takes a walk in his kingdom to check if everyone there is pleased with him. He finds three sisters wishing that if they marry the royal cook, the vizier, and the king, their lives will change forever. This happens, and the king marries the younger sister. She gives birth to a child whom the elder sister replaces with a kitten and leaves him flowing in the river. This happens thrice. The children were found by a gardener who brings them up very well. The story, which is in the Northern (Mandē) dialect with some instances of code-switching to Urdu, continues further.

This is a story of a husband and wife who once had so little flour left in their house that only three chapatis could be made. The husband says that he will eat two chapatis, and the wife too says the same. A heated exchange took place between them, but they finally agreed that whoever speaks first will eat just one chapati while the other one, two. They lie down and silently stare at each other, and three days pass like this. The villagers, thinking of them being dead, go to their house, wrap them in a shroud and take them to the crematory. At last, the husband says to the wife, okay two chapatis for you!

This is a personal narrative about an incident of the childhood time of Naushad Shaikh, the paternal uncle of the researcher, in Mandē village of Azamgarh.

This is a recording of Mr. Anwar reciting a joke on the wit of an Indian involved in an argument with an American and a Russian.

This is a monologue on Mande village by Master Mohammad Khalid. The narrative is in the Northern (Mande) dialect of Azamgarhi. Frequent code-switching to Urdu can be easily heard even when pointed out to speak in the local language by the researcher in the beginning part of the recording.

This is a story in the Eastern (Fatehpur) dialect of Azamgarhi about a king who once asks his seven daughters that from whose fate they eat. Six of them reply, “We eat because you give.” The seventh one refuses to accept this at any cost. Hearing this, the king gets furious and sends her to a jungle where she, fortunately, finds a good hut to live, meets Paňkhiyā Bādshāh (the king who appears on a swing of Punkah or fan). Finally, they both marry and live happily. Realizing this, her other sisters become jealous and poison her husband. Still, he is lucky enough to survive owing to his miraculous powers.

This is a recording of various folktales which begin with a short conversation. After completing the narration of a story, Mehar Afroz asks Qamar Afroz to stitch a cloth. After which, she asks Asiya Khatoon to sing some folksongs along with her, followed by a discussion on each of them. These kinds of traditional songs are sung on the occasion of girls' marriage, varying from praising the beauty of the beloved daughter to vidāī — the girl's farewell from their parental home. The songs in this recording are in the Eastern dialect of Urdu. The discussions on them and some other conversations take place in a mix of Azamgarhi and Urdu.

This is a description of an Urdu poem, written by one of the speaker's relatives, on the dowry system prevalent in North India. The poem is in the Urdu language, and the speaker interprets it and explains its meaning and significance in Azamgarhi to the researcher.

This is a story about a man who once dreams that God will come as a guest to his house. He does all the required preparation and was eagerly waiting since morning for Him to come. But instead of God, he finds a beggar at his doors and after some time a refuge seeker both of whom he turns away saying that God is about to come. And finally, a poor woman with her baby knocks on his door seeking help, and he refuses her too. It becomes dark but God doesn’t come. He sleeps and dreams again asking God why he didn’t come. God replies saying that He had visited him thrice.

This is a video recording of an interview type conversation between the researcher and Aquil Ahmad on the current BJP government and its policies. At the researcher’s request, Aquil Ahmad presents his critical views related to the present Government, its policies, and its supporters and voters.

This is an analytical discussion — in Urdu — on a drama titled – Gharphū̃kan patōh (Eng. spendthrift daughter-in-law). It depicts a typical rural life of the North Indian plains where a woman and her family are very much sick of the misdeeds of the daughter-in-law because she is very spendthrift! Naazli helps Maaz understand some unfamiliar words and guides him through some of the sentences while she was sewing some clothes on the sewing machine.

This story — which can be said to be the Azamgarhi version of the world-famous folktale of Cinderella — is about a gorgeous princess named Sheherbānō whose mother dies, and her father remarries. The stepmother would never like the princess and inflict tremendous pain on her. Living in forsaken circumstances, the young princess witnesses a remarkable change in her fortune, thanks to her very attractive sandal being lost in the market after returning from her friend’s wedding. This leads to her accession to the throne when a prince finds that sandal and turns desperate to marry its owner. This story describes how the stepmother tries the best of her stratagems, leaving no stone unturned, to prevent this from happening — but in total vain.

This is a personal narrative about an elderly person famous by the name Pīr Miā̃ who would travel by horse. He once arrived in the village of Khetaurā, the village next to Bairīḍīh. The speaker tells some events which took place at that time and talks about Pīr Miyā̃ along with his interaction with him.

This is a story about Tīs Mār Khā̃ ‘a big talker’ (lit./iron. a great warrior), a man who is a weaver and a very poor man. He has a wife and children whom he doesn’t care about at all. His wife gets something from here and there and feeds him and their children. She becomes apprehensive of his actions and tells him every day to go and earn. One fine day he becomes ready to go and earn. He asks his wife to prepare something for him to eat on the way. This story talks about his fake valor, which he earns absolutely by chance and becomes famous and wealthy.

This is a conversation between women gathered in Sonwārā village in Azamgarh district of UP on the occasion of a marriage.

This is a conversation in Ḍhilaī̃ village, situated nearby Fatehpūr, in the Maū district of UP, taking place in the Eastern dialect of Azamgarhi. The conversation begins with some issues in the selling of the current year’s harvest of paddy. Then the speakers move on to talking on matters of relatives.

This is a discussion about the language and language varieties spoken in the districts of the Pūrvānchal region of the state of Uttar Pradesh, such as Maū, Balliā, and Āzamgaṛh. The speaker Mr. Maqsood Khan initiates with a short monologue on the election season in his mother tongue Bhojpuri spoken in his village Jogarī. He then proceeds to the varieties spoken in the region as he seems to have excellent knowledge on the same. The monologue then turns into a discussion about the differences of culture and language of Āzamgaṛh and Maū. It then shifts to the state of Urdu in India.