India Real Estate Dictionary

A

1 terms

Apna Khata

Land Records

Also called: Apna Khata Rajasthan

Rajasthan's online land record service, from which owners can download the jamabandi nakal, the khasra and the map. It is used to confirm who the khatedar is and which survey numbers the person holds.

Example & agent tip

Example: In Jodhpur, Meena downloads the jamabandi from Apna Khata and sees the seller's brother also listed as khatedar of the same khasra.

Agent tip: Check every khatedar in the extract. If the seller is only one of several, all of them must sign the deed.

B

2 terms

Bayana

General & Places

Also called: Bayana Amount, Advance

A Hindi word for the advance paid by a buyer when agreeing to buy a property. It is normally a part of the sale price and is given with a written receipt or agreement, and may be forfeited if the buyer backs out.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer pays ₹5 lakh as bayana and gets a receipt stating the balance payment date.

Agent tip: Always issue a written receipt stating the property, amount, balance and last date.

Bhoodan Land

Land Records

Also called: Bhudan Land, Bhoodan Yajna Land

Land donated for the landless during the Bhoodan movement of the 1950s and later. State Bhoodan laws normally restrict its sale or transfer, and unallotted donated land stays under a Bhoodan board.

Example & agent tip

Example: In Jharkhand, a seller offers a 2-acre field once donated under the Bhoodan movement. The record shows it was allotted to a landless family with a bar on sale.

Agent tip: If the revenue record mentions Bhoodan, do not accept a private deed alone. Get the allotment order and the state's transfer rules checked.

C

1 terms

Consolidation of Holdings

Land Records

Also called: Chakbandi, Chakbandi Records

A government programme that swaps scattered small plots of a farmer to give one or a few compact fields. It is done village by village, with a new map and record, and it is known as chakbandi in north India.

Example & agent tip

Example: After consolidation in a village near Muzaffarnagar, a farmer's four scattered plots become a single block with a new khasra number. Old sale deeds still mention the old numbers.

Agent tip: In a consolidated village, match the old and new numbers through the consolidation records before checking title.

E

1 terms

Evacuee Property

Land Records

Also called: Evacuee Land, Displaced Persons Property

Property in India left behind by people who migrated to Pakistan around Partition and then managed by the Custodian under special laws. Some of it was allotted to displaced persons, and title issues can still be seen in old cases.

Example & agent tip

Example: A shop in an old Amritsar market is described as allotted evacuee property. The buyer asks for the allotment and the sale-certificate trail.

Agent tip: For old city properties in the north, check how the first allottee obtained title. Missing sale certificates cause trouble in resale.

G

3 terms

Gair Mumkin

Land Records

Land recorded as not fit for cultivation, such as paths, ponds, wells or village roads, in the revenue records of several northern and western states.

Example & agent tip

Example: A plot marked "gair mumkin" in the Jamabandi cannot be sold for housing without the proper change of status.

Agent tip: Refuse deals on land that shows gair mumkin unless the record has been changed in the proper manner.

Girdawari

Land Records

A record of crops and possession kept by the revenue department in northern states, showing who actually cultivates a field each season.

Example & agent tip

Example: A girdawari shows a tenant farming a plot that the seller claims is empty.

Agent tip: Girdawari helps to confirm who is in possession. A mismatch can signal a dispute.

Gochar Land (Grazing Land)

Land Records

Also called: Gauchar, Charagah, Gomal

Village land set aside for common grazing of cattle, protected as community land by the gram panchayat in most states. Gochar land cannot normally be sold or used for building, and encroachments can be removed.

Example & agent tip

Example: A broker sells a roadside field near Mehsana which the 7/12 shows as gochar. After a complaint, the panchayat removes the fence.

Agent tip: Never buy land recorded for grazing or common use. The panchayat can reclaim it, and the buyer loses the money.

H

1 terms

Haveli

General & Places

A traditional large mansion with courtyards, found in Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, often with decorated facades. Many are old, with joint family ownership, heritage rules or poor repair, so legal and structural checks matter.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer wants to convert an old haveli in Jaipur into a boutique hotel after checking heritage limits.

Agent tip: Verify ownership shares of all family members and heritage restrictions before negotiating.

J

1 terms

Jaipur Development Authority (JDA)

Authorities

The authority that plans and develops Jaipur, including layouts and approvals.

Example & agent tip

Example: A Jaipur plot buyer checks that the colony has JDA approval.

Agent tip: Do not confuse this JDA with a joint development agreement.

K

2 terms

Khasra Number

Land Records

The number of an individual field or land parcel in the village map and revenue records of states such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Example & agent tip

Example: A farm sale lists khasra numbers 24, 25 and 26. The buyer checks each against the village map.

Agent tip: Match each khasra number with the map and the Jamabandi. Missing numbers may mean part of the land is not covered.

Related: Jamabandi Survey Number Shajra

Khatedar

Land Records

Also called: Khatadar, Khatedari Right

A person recorded as the main land-holder of agricultural land in Rajasthan, Haryana and some other states, with rights against the state to hold and farm the land. Tenant farmers who farm another's land may also become khatedars.

Example & agent tip

Example: A farm near Alwar lists three khatedars. The buyer realises all three, and not only the broker's contact, must agree to the sale.

Agent tip: Ask for names of all khatedars from the jamabandi, then ask each to sign. A deed signed by one co-holder is risky.

N

1 terms

Nazul Land

Land Records

Also called: Nazool Land, Nazul

Government-owned urban land that is not managed as revenue land, often leased out in the past to private people or bodies for a fixed term. Several cities have rules for renewal or conversion to freehold.

Example & agent tip

Example: A flat in an older locality of Prayagraj stands on nazul land with a lease that expired. The buyer needs to know whether the lease has been renewed.

Agent tip: For nazul land, ask for the lease deed, the renewal order and any pending dues. Banks often avoid expired-lease properties.

P

1 terms

Patwari

Land Records

A village-level revenue official in northern states who maintains land records, field maps and crop entries.

Example & agent tip

Example: A patwari enters a mutation after the tehsildar's order.

Agent tip: In Punjab and Haryana, you may need the patwari for records such as a field map or girdawari.

Related: Kanoongo Tehsildar Girdawari

R

2 terms

Rajasthan RERA

Authorities

The Rajasthan Real Estate Regulatory Authority, which registers projects and agents in Rajasthan, including Jaipur.

Example & agent tip

Example: A Jaipur agent applies for registration through the Rajasthan RERA portal.

Agent tip: Rajasthan land records and bigha measures differ by area.

How to become a RERA agent in Rajasthan →

Registry

General & Places

Also called: Registree

Everyday north Indian word for registering a sale deed at the sub-registrar office. People say "registry ho gayi" to mean ownership has been transferred and registered. It is also used for the registered deed itself.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer in Zirakpur says the registry is fixed for Friday at the sub-registrar office.

Agent tip: Explain that registry is different from mutation. Buyers must also get the land records updated.

Apna Khata

Bayana

Bhoodan Land

Consolidation of Holdings

Evacuee Property

Gair Mumkin

Girdawari

Gochar Land (Grazing Land)

Haveli

Jaipur Development Authority (JDA)

Khasra Number

Khatedar

Nazul Land

Patwari

Rajasthan RERA

Registry

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