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Khewat, Khata, Khasra and Khatauni: The Difference (2026)
Four record words that buyers mix up, what each one identifies, and which one to quote in a sale document.
Land records across North India use four look-alike words: khewat (खेवट), khata (खाता), khasra (खसरा) and khatauni (खतौनी). They sound similar but they name different things. Khasra identifies a field, khata or khewat identifies a holding, and khatauni lists holdings and their holders. This guide separates them so you can read a record and spot a mismatch before you pay.
Why these four words get confused
Land records in North India grew out of the village revenue records of the colonial period, and each state kept its own vocabulary while borrowing words from its neighbours. A word such as khata can mean one thing in Uttar Pradesh and a slightly different thing in Rajasthan or Haryana. Online portals add another layer, because the menu label may use one word while the printed record uses another.
For a buyer the confusion is not academic. A sale deed that quotes the wrong number, or quotes a holding number when it should quote a field number, can describe more land than the seller owns or less than you think you are buying. Read this page alongside our deeper guides on khasra and khatauni and jamabandi and fard.
One rule covers all states: the definitions and the exact format are set by the state revenue department, so the record in front of you is the final authority on what a number means. Where this page describes a state practice we could not confirm on an official source, we say so.
The four terms in one line each
| Term | What it identifies | Think of it as |
|---|---|---|
| Khasra (खसरा) | A single field or plot, with its own number and area | The address of one parcel |
| Khewat (खेवट) | A holding of owners in a village, often a joint holding | The ownership group |
| Khata (खाता) | An account of land held by one holder or one set of holders, which may cover several fields | The holder's account |
| Khatauni (खतौनी) | A register or extract listing khata holdings, holders and their fields | The ledger of accounts |
The table is a working summary, not a legal definition. In practice khewat and khata are used for a similar idea in different states, and the next sections show where each word appears.
Khasra: the field number
A khasra number is the number given to one field during village survey. It is the smallest unit buyers deal with. The khasra record shows area, the type of land and, in many states, who is cultivating and what crop was recorded. Our guide to khasra and khatauni goes through the columns.
If you want to know whether the land you are shown on site is the land on paper, the khasra number is the thing to match. A seller may own several khasras in a village; a buyer usually buys one or part of one. Always ask for the khasra number first and confirm it on the village map, as described in cadastral maps explained and the sibling page on matching a khasra to a plot on the map.
Some fields are subdivided over time. A field may then carry a suffix such as a sub-number. Ask the seller to explain any suffix in writing, and check that the area you are buying is carved out cleanly. If the area is only a share of a larger khasra, read our note on partition (takseem).
Khewat and khata: the holding
A khewat or khata groups the land held by an owner or by co-owners. In Punjab, the state portal lets you search by khewat number, and the khewat there is the joint holding in a village; khatauni is the individual share within it. That is how our Punjab jamabandi guide describes the search options we saw. Haryana jamabandi records also carry khewat and khatauni columns, which you can see on our Haryana jamabandi page.
In Uttar Pradesh the word you meet most is khata, and the khata number appears on the khatauni extract with the holder name and the khasra numbers under it. See khasra and khatauni in UP and khatauni nakal in UP for the portal view.
Why it matters for buyers: a joint khewat or khata means other family members may share ownership of the same field. Even if the seller says the land is his, the record may show several co-owners with undivided shares. A sale needs every co-owner to sign unless the land has been partitioned. Ask for the full khewat or khata with all names and their shares.
Khatauni: the register that lists holdings
Khatauni is the register or extract that lists khata holdings, with the holder name, the khasra numbers and area, and often the share. In Uttar Pradesh the khatauni is the main extract buyers pull; our page on khatauni nakal in UP covers it. The Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, 2006 is the statute that governs the land tenures behind these records; we opened a copy and its contents list shows chapters on tenures and on transfers by bhumidhars, but the scanned text was too garbled for us to quote individual sections, so we do not cite a section number here.
In Punjab the same word has a narrower meaning in the portal search: the individual holder within a khewat. The takeaway is that khatauni always points to the holder level, not the field level.
Quote all three in your papers
A good sale document and your own due diligence file should carry the village, the khasra number, the khata or khewat number, and the khatauni reference or record year. If any one of the three is missing from the seller's papers, ask why before paying an advance.
How the four link together
- The village survey divides the land into fields. Each field gets a khasra number and area.
- Fields are grouped under holders. Each group is a khewat or khata, depending on the state.
- A khatauni or jamabandi lists the holdings and holders for the village or for a year.
- When land is sold or inherited, mutation changes the holder in the record. See dakhil kharij (mutation) explained and mutation after death.
- A copy of the record, a fard or nakal, is the extract you hold in your hand. See jamabandi and fard.
Because the holder changes through mutation, a khata number can change after a sale, a partition or a consolidation exercise. Do not assume the number on an old document still points to the same holding today.
Mismatches to watch for
- Area mismatch. The sale paper shows one area and the khasra shows another. Ask which is right and get the correction made before registration.
- Name mismatch. The seller name differs in spelling, father name or relationship across records. Ask for an explanation and, if needed, a correction. See correcting errors in online land records.
- Old khata number. A number from a previous consolidation or settlement. Check against the current record.
- Share not stated. A khewat or khata with many co-owners and no share shown. Insist on a partition or a signature from all.
- Record and site differ. The field on the ground is not where the map says. Use the map and a physical demarcation; see land demarcation (nishandehi).
Any of these is a reason to slow down. Our land due diligence checklist and guide to verifying land title show what to do next.
What we could not confirm
We did not find an official state glossary that defines all four words side by side for every state in our corridor. The descriptions above reflect how state portals and our own state guides use the terms. We could not confirm the exact definition of khata in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand records, or whether a given village still uses an older numbering. Treat this page as a reading guide and rely on the legend or column heading printed on the actual record.
For rules on who may buy land and on state limits, see laws governing land purchase in India and state-wise agricultural land purchase rules.
