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District guide
Buying Land in Varanasi
The Kashi pilgrimage district, with an airport expansion launched in October 2024, an enlarged development-authority area, Ganga flood exposure and no sourced per-acre price series.
1,535 sq km
Area
~36.8 lakh people
Census 2011
850 villages
VDA area (Jun 2024)
3.9 to 9.9 million a year
Airport capacity
*Indicative range across districts and land types. Stamp duty, registration and conversion charges are additional. Local measurement units vary — every listing states the unit it is priced in. Not a valuation or an offer.
IGRS UP — Registration & Land Records PortalDistrict land record — Varanasi
Rev. 2026 · Farmland India desk
State
Uttar Pradesh
Planning authority
Varanasi Development Authority; 850 revenue villages after the 28 June 2024 extension (VDA newsletter, October 2025)
Key markets
Varanasi · Pindra · Rajatalab tehsils (district industrial profile)
Demand anchors
Kashi Vishwanath corridor (opened 13 December 2021) · airport expansion (foundation stones 20 October 2024) · Varanasi Ring Road
Area
1,535 sq km (district industrial profile)
Administration
3 tehsils (Varanasi, Pindra, Rajatalab) and 8 blocks (district industrial profile); confirm
Population (Census 2011)
About 36.8 lakh; the profile's Census 2011 table gives 36,82,194, of which 20,82,934 rural (district industrial profile)
Rivers
The Ganga; tributaries include the Varuna, Assi and Gomti (district industrial profile)
Land records portal
UP Bhulekh / IGRS UP
Land law is state law. These rules are maintained on the Uttar Pradesh page and apply to every district within it.
Varanasi — land purchase legal rules
⚠ Two checks come before any advance in Uttar Pradesh: the Revenue Code limit of 5.0586 hectares (about 12.5 acres) on what one person can acquire by purchase or gift, and the registry position in the DNGIR villages near Noida, where a purchase halt was reported in January 2024 and no later word was found. UP Revenue Code 2006, section 89; Sakshi Post, January 2024.
Who can buy agricultural land? The Revenue Code sections we read set a size limit (section 89) and special rules for land held by Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe members (sections 98 and 99). None asks the buyer to be a farmer or to live in the state (UP Revenue Code 2006, IGRS UP). We did not read the whole tenure chapter, so ask the Sub-Registrar whether anything further applies. The Code repealed the Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act 1950 when it was enforced on 18 December 2015 (SCC Online, February 2016).
Holding limit: section 89(2) of the Code bars a purchase or gift that would take the buyer's total holding in Uttar Pradesh above 5.0586 hectares, about 12.5 acres on our conversion (UP Revenue Code 2006). Under the earlier Act the Supreme Court read a company as a person for this limit and let the excess vest in the State (Oswal Fats and Oils, April 2010). The separate 1960 Ceiling Act caps total holdings; the India Code text gives 7.30 hectares of irrigated land for a family of five or fewer, with additions for larger families, and the text mixes acres and hectares, so the current schedule needs checking (India Code).
DNGIR villages: the Dadri-Noida-Ghaziabad Investment Region covers 84 notified villages, 63 in Bulandshahr and 21 in Gautam Buddh Nagar, notified in October 2024 (Swarajya, July 2026). In January 2024 a Noida Authority letter to the Stamp Department halted purchase and sale in the proposed villages, with registration of agricultural land needing the Authority's consent (Sakshi Post, January 2024). Two July 2026 reports on acquisition by mutual consent do not mention the halt (Millennium Post, July 2026), so ask the Noida Authority or the District Magistrate's office whether it still applies to a given village.
Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe land: a Scheduled Caste bhumidhar needs the Collector's previous written permission to transfer land to a non-Scheduled Caste buyer (section 98), and a Scheduled Tribe bhumidhar may not transfer to a non-Scheduled Tribe buyer (section 99) (UP Revenue Code 2006). The Allahabad High Court described a transfer without the permission as void in Omwati v District Collector, Pilibhit, November 2022.
NRI & OCI buyers: the Reserve Bank's Master Direction under FEMA 1999 excludes agricultural land, plantation land and a farm house from what NRIs and OCIs may buy or receive as a gift (paragraphs 3.1.1 and 3.1.2). Inheritance is covered separately in paragraphs 3.1.3 and 3.1.4, without that exclusion (Reserve Bank of India Master Direction FED 12/2015-16).
- Revenue Code 2006
- Purchase limit: 5.0586 ha
- DNGIR: 84 villages
- SC land: Collector permission
- NRI agri: barred (FEMA)
- Ceiling Act 1960
Varanasi — district-specific notes
The Uttar Pradesh rules on the state page apply to Varanasi in full, including the section 89(2) purchase limit of 5.0586 hectares in the Revenue Code 2006. The notes below are specific to this district.
⚠ The Varanasi Development Authority extended its planning area on 28 June 2024 by 215 revenue villages (278 sq km), to a total of 850, and in September 2025 signed a contract for a GIS-based master plan for the added areas, to be prepared in eight months (VDA newsletter, October 2025). Ask whether the village is inside the notified area, what land-use zone it falls in and whether any road or green-belt designation crosses it.
⚠ Conversion rules are changing. On 23 March 2026 the UP Cabinet cleared an ordinance amending Section 80 of the Revenue Code so that an approved building plan in development-authority, industrial-development and regulated areas also counts as conversion to non-agricultural use (Free Press Journal, March 2026). We did not check whether it has since become law, and we could not open the section text, so ask which regime applies to your village.
⚠ The Ganga stood at about 72.1 m on 4 August 2025, roughly 0.84 m above the 71.262 m danger mark, and reports said all the ghats were under water (The Week, August 2025). Ask for the khatauni, the ground level against that mark and the parcel's flood history before treating land near the river as buildable.
⚠ The district industrial profile lists 3 tehsils and 8 blocks, but administrative counts change, and we found no current block-wise groundwater category. The 2024 CGWB state report lists Varanasi for nitrate and uranium above limits at sporadic locations (CGWB, December 2024). Confirm the tehsil, block and Sub-Registrar from the khatauni, and test water before planning a borewell.
- Ganga River
- Varanasi Development Authority
- VDA planning area
- Pindra
- Section 80
District overview
Varanasi — the Kashi pilgrimage district, with an airport expansion under way and no sourced farmland price series
Varanasi district covers 1,535 sq km along the Ganga, with 3 tehsils (Varanasi, Pindra, Rajatalab) and 8 blocks. The Census 2011 table in the district industrial profile counts 36,82,194 people, about 57% rural on our calculation (Ministry of MSME district profile). The profile describes Banarasi silk sarees and brocades as the signature industry, with a silk furnishing and yarn dyeing cluster of about 30,000 units. The Kashi Vishwanath corridor, a Rs 339 crore project, was inaugurated on 13 December 2021 (The Quint, December 2021).
Air access is being expanded. Foundation stones for a new terminal and runway extension at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport were laid on 20 October 2024, a project of about Rs 2,870 crore that raises capacity from 3.9 to 9.9 million passengers a year (All India Radio, October 2024; Indian Infrastructure, October 2024). The 610 km Varanasi-Kolkata Expressway is meant to begin at the junction of NH 19 and the Varanasi Ring Road (Swarajya, December 2022).
Farming sits behind all this. ICAR's contingency plan (2012 data) gives rice on about 50,500 hectares and wheat on about 69,100 hectares, on soils that are mostly sandy loam (ICAR-CRIDA). We found no sourced farmland price series for Varanasi, and the listing-site asking prices that circulate for Pindra and Rajatalab could not be traced to registered deeds, so none are published here. Read the UP land-rules guide and the Uttar Pradesh state page before shortlisting.
- Varanasi
- Pindra
- Rajatalab
- Cholapur
- Harhua
- Ganga River
- Airport expansion
- Kashi
Market & connectivity
What is moving prices in Varanasi
Reported facts with the source of each named. None of them is a land price.
No sourced price series
We found no dated official or news figure for what farmland sells for in Pindra, Rajatalab or elsewhere in the district. Listing-site asking prices for the urban fringe could not be traced to registered deeds and are not published. Ask for the nearest registered sale and the land-use zone before engaging.
Collector rates
In March 2025 the state listed Varanasi among 23 districts where collector-rate revisions would start soon, because rates had gone unchanged for years (The Week, March 2025). We found no later report with Varanasi figures, so ask the Sub-Registrar for the current village rate.
Reading any asking price
Land near a pilgrimage city is priced on expected expansion, not on crop income. Treat any single quote as a starting point and ask for registered deeds from the same village.
Which unit?
Land in Uttar Pradesh is often quoted in local units whose size varies by seller. Khatauni records use hectares or square metres, so convert any quote to acres or square yards before comparing.
Demand drivers
The Kashi Vishwanath corridor opened on 13 December 2021 (The Quint) and the airport expansion began in October 2024 (Indian Infrastructure). We found no sourced price effect for either, so do not pay a premium for an announcement.
Circle rates and duty
The state page quotes stamp duty of 7% (men) and 6% (a sole woman buyer) plus 1% registration, and marks those figures as not confirmed from the Stamp Department. No Varanasi circle rate was read for this page.
Connectivity
How Varanasi connects — the airport, the ring road and the expressway start
Only the airport, the ring road and the expressway start are sourced here. Check distances and journey times yourself.
🚗 By road
✈️ By air
🚆 By rail
🛣 Ring road and expressway link
Varanasi has a Ring Road, and the Varanasi-Kolkata Expressway is meant to begin where it meets NH 19 (Swarajya, December 2022). The first package covers 27 km between the Ring Road and the Chandauli-Chainpur road; later status is from a tracker only, so treat the benefit as indirect and unconfirmed. See our UP land-rules guide for the rules that apply before buying.
Growth catalysts
Upcoming infrastructure & developments
Status as reported in the sources named in each card. Announced timelines are not guaranteed.
Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport
The airport is named Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in the October 2024 programme note (All India Radio). We did not confirm its current international routes, so check the airline.
Kashi Vishwanath Corridor
The Rs 339 crore corridor linking the Kashi Vishwanath temple to the Ganga was inaugurated on 13 December 2021 (The Quint). It supports visitor numbers and hospitality demand in the old city, not farmland.
Airport runway and terminal expansion
Foundation stones were laid on 20 October 2024 for a new terminal, runway extension, apron extension and parallel taxi track, implemented by the Airports Authority of India at about Rs 28.7 billion; capacity rises from 3.9 to 9.9 million passengers a year (Indian Infrastructure). No completion date was found.
Varanasi–Ranchi–Kolkata Expressway
Swarajya (December 2022) described a 610 km expressway starting at the NH 19 and Ring Road junction, with a 160 km first bid and a 2026-27 completion target; Package 1 is 27 km at Rs 988.24 crore (Swarajya). A tracker updated in September 2024 still shows land acquisition and design (The Metro Rail Guy). We found no later report.
VDA planning area and master plan
On 28 June 2024 the Authority's area grew by 215 revenue villages (278 sq km) to 850, and a GIS-based master plan for the added areas was contracted in September 2025 (VDA newsletter, October 2025). Check the land-use map for any parcel.
Agriculture & terrain
Soil, water & crops in Varanasi
Varanasi is a Gangetic-plain rice-wheat district on sandy loam with heavy borewell dependence.
🌾 Cropped area
ICAR's contingency plan (2012) gives a net sown area of about 95,750 ha and a gross cropped area of about 134,070 ha. Rice covers about 50,500 ha and sugarcane about 4,100 ha in kharif, and wheat about 69,100 ha in rabi. Soils are 46% sandy loam, 25% clay loam, 16% loam and 13% sandy (ICAR-CRIDA). The plan's quoted 176% cropping intensity does not match its own areas (about 140%), so confirm it.
- Rice
- Wheat
- Sugarcane
💧 Water
ICAR gives normal annual rainfall of about 1,082 mm, 945 mm of it in the south-west monsoon, and a net irrigated area of about 82,200 ha, 89% of it from bore wells and 11% from canals. We found no current block-wise groundwater category, so check CGWB before drilling.
🌱 Water quality and hazards
The 2024 CGWB state report lists Varanasi for nitrate and uranium above limits at sporadic locations. ICAR's hazard checklist for the district marks drought and flood among others. Test any borewell before building, and ask about Ganga flood levels for low parcels.
- Gangetic plain
- Sandy loam
- Flood-prone
🌾 Mandi price and record references
Mandi prices, rainfall normals, Census tables and khatauni are published by Agmarknet, IMD, Census of India and UP Bhulekh; we did not open those portals for this page. Rice and wheat income is small next to the value of land near a pilgrimage city, so judge a parcel on its location and use.
At a glance
Varanasi: reported figures at a glance
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| District area | 1,535 sq km | Ministry of MSME district profile |
| Net sown area, 2012 | About 95,750 ha | ICAR-CRIDA |
| Rice and wheat, 2012 | About 50,500 ha and 69,100 ha | ICAR-CRIDA |
| Net irrigated area, 2012 | About 82,200 ha; 89% bore wells | ICAR-CRIDA |
| Airport capacity | 3.9 million a year now; 9.9 million planned | Indian Infrastructure, October 2024 |
| Collector-rate revision | Varanasi on the March 2025 "to start soon" list | The Week, March 2025 |
| Per-acre price | No sourced price series | None found |
No per-acre figure is shown because none could be traced to an official or news source.
Farmland India view
Why investors look at Varanasi
Three reasons this desk includes Varanasi, with a note that no price series is sourced.
A destination economy
The Kashi Vishwanath corridor opened in December 2021 (The Quint) and the district industrial profile counts a large silk-weaving economy (Ministry of MSME), a demand base that does not depend on crop income.
Air and road links
An airport expansion launched in October 2024 (Indian Infrastructure) and the planned Kolkata expressway starting at the Ring Road (Swarajya) point to better access, though neither is complete.
A planning authority to ask
The Varanasi Development Authority covers 850 revenue villages after June 2024 (VDA newsletter). Its land-use map is the document to test any parcel against, and the new areas are still being planned.
Confirm tehsil, authority zone, conversion status and flood history directly; these are not certified by Farmland India's review.
STRAIGHT TALK
Risks & challenges in Varanasi
Read these before shortlisting in Varanasi specifically.
No sourced price series
There is no official or news price series for the district. Collect registered deeds before negotiating.
Ganga flood exposure
The Ganga stood about 0.84 m above the danger mark on 4 August 2025 and all ghats were under water (The Week, August 2025). Check ground level and flood history for river-side land.
No current groundwater category found
We found no current block-wise category for the district. Check CGWB and borewell depth before drilling.
Water quality
The 2024 CGWB state report lists Varanasi for nitrate and uranium above limits at sporadic locations (CGWB, December 2024). Test water before building or planting.
Authority and zoning rules
Parcels inside the Varanasi Development Authority area may need building-plan approval, and a zone or alignment can change a parcel's use. Read the land-use map.
Old data and count conflicts
ICAR figures date from 2012 and the Census table from 2011, and tehsil and block counts may have changed. Use them for orientation only.
Conversion rules in transition
The March 2026 ordinance changes how conversion works in some areas (Free Press Journal, March 2026). Confirm what is in force for your village, and apply the standard UP checks from the state page.
Who to contact
Local revenue & registration offices
Mutation, land-use applications and ceiling queries route through the tehsildar and Sub-Divisional Officer of the relevant tehsil (Varanasi, Pindra or Rajatalab); confirm the tehsil first. Within the Varanasi Development Authority area, plan approvals go through that authority. Sale deeds are registered by the local Sub-Registrar, and records are on UP Bhulekh and IGRS UP; we did not open either portal for this page.
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Guides & research
- Bhu Naksha UP: Check Village Land Map Online (2026 Guide)Wiki · P02 Land Records & Documentation
- Khatauni Nakal UP: Get a Copy Online or at the Tehsil (2026 Guide)Wiki · P02 Land Records & Documentation
- Khasra Khatauni UP: How to Check and Read It Online (2026 Guide)Wiki · P02 Land Records & Documentation
- IGRS UP Encumbrance Certificate: Apply, Track and Download (2026 Guide)Wiki · P02 Land Records & Documentation
- Dakhil Kharij Status UP: Check Mutation Online (2026 Guide)Wiki · P02 Land Records & Documentation
- Circle Rate Uttar Pradesh: Check Land Rates Online (2026 Guide)Wiki · P02 Land Records & Documentation
- Property Tax for Land in Uttar Pradesh: Check and Pay Online (2026 Guide)Wiki · P02 Land Records & Documentation
- Bigha in Uttar Pradesh: District-wise VariationsWiki · P01 Land Measurement Units
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
Everything buyers, NRIs and investors ask before their first reviewed farmland purchase in Varanasi.
Visit full wiki01 of 04
What does land cost around Varanasi?
We publish no per-acre figure. We found no official or news price series for the district, and the listing-site asking prices for Pindra and Rajatalab could not be traced to registered deeds. Varanasi was on the March 2025 list of districts where collector-rate revisions were to start soon (The Week), so ask the Sub-Registrar for the current village rate.
02 of 04
What is happening at Varanasi's airport?
Foundation stones for a new terminal, a runway extension, an apron extension and a parallel taxi track were laid on 20 October 2024, for a project of about Rs 2,870 crore that raises capacity from 3.9 to 9.9 million passengers a year (All India Radio and Indian Infrastructure, October 2024). We found no completion date.
03 of 04
Where does the Varanasi-Kolkata expressway start?
Swarajya (December 2022) described a 610 km expressway starting at the junction of NH 19 and the Varanasi Ring Road, with a 2026-27 target and a first 27 km package toward Chandauli-Chainpur. A tracker updated in September 2024 still showed land acquisition and design, and we found no later report, so timing is unconfirmed.
04 of 04
Is the Ganga a flood risk for land near Varanasi?
On 4 August 2025 the Ganga stood at about 72.1 m, roughly 0.84 m above the 71.262 m danger mark, and reports said all the ghats were under water (The Week, PTI). Ask for ground level and flood history for any river-side parcel.
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Sources and references
Law and courts
- Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code 2006 (sections 80, 89), text hosted by IGRS UP
- Master Direction FED 12/2015-16 on immovable assets under FEMA 1999, Reserve Bank of India, updated to 1 Sep 2022
Government
- District Industrial Profile, Varanasi (area, tehsils, blocks, Census 2011 table), Ministry of MSME
- District agriculture contingency plan, Varanasi (2012), ICAR-CRIDA
- Fortnightly newsletter, Varanasi Development Authority, 23 Oct 2025
- Dynamic Ground Water Resources and Ground Water Quality of Uttar Pradesh 2024, Central Ground Water Board, Dec 2024
- PM to launch development projects worth around Rs 6,100 crore from Varanasi, All India Radio, Oct 2024
- UP govt to revise land circle rates across multiple districts, The Week (PTI), 10 Mar 2025
News
- Centre laid foundation stones for new terminals at four airports, Indian Infrastructure, 22 Oct 2024
- Kashi Vishwanath corridor inaugurated: highlights, The Quint, 13 Dec 2021
- NHAI's 610-km Varanasi-Kolkata Expressway to be operational by 2027, Swarajya, 9 Dec 2022
- Varanasi-Kolkata Expressway: information and status, The Metro Rail Guy (tracker, last updated 8 Sep 2024)
- Ganga crosses danger mark in Varanasi, ghats inundated, The Week (PTI), 4 Aug 2025
- UP Cabinet clears ordinance simplifying land use conversion via building plan approvals, Free Press Journal, 23 Mar 2026
Further reading
- Ceiling Act 1960 text on India Code
- Groundwater quality by district, CGWB 2024
- Planning area extension and master plan, VDA newsletter, Oct 2025
- Airport terminal foundation stones, Indian Infrastructure, Oct 2024
- Varanasi projects, All India Radio, Oct 2024
- Varanasi-Kolkata Expressway, Swarajya, Dec 2022
- Kashi Vishwanath corridor, The Quint, Dec 2021
- Ganga flood level, The Week, Aug 2025
- Section 80 ordinance, Free Press Journal, Mar 2026
Data-currency note: census figures reflect 2011. ICAR crop data date from 2012, and the expressway tracker was last updated in September 2024. We could not open the Stamp Department rate schedule, UP Bhulekh, IGRS UP or the text of the Revenue Code sections on Section 80, so stamp duty, circle rates and the conversion procedure are unconfirmed. No per-acre price series is shown. This is a general guide, not legal advice. Report inaccuracies to wiki@farmlandindia.com.
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