India Real Estate Dictionary

A

1 terms

Adangal

Land Records

Also called: Adangal Register, Village Account No. 2

A village-level register in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh recording who cultivates each survey number, the crop grown and the type of land. It is kept by the village revenue staff and is updated every year or season.

Example & agent tip

Example: The adangal for a field near Thanjavur shows a tenant farmer growing paddy, which tells the buyer that the owner is not in possession.

Agent tip: Compare the adangal with the patta. If the person in cultivation is not the seller, ask why before buying.

C

3 terms

Chitta

Land Records

A Tamil Nadu land record that shows land classification, extent and ownership details, usually looked up together with the patta.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer checks the patta and chitta on the state's online portal before buying.

Agent tip: A mismatch between chitta, patta and deed is a reason to delay purchase.

Related: Patta Revenue Record

CMDA

Authorities

The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, which prepares the master plan and approves buildings in the Chennai region.

Example & agent tip

Example: A Chennai builder applies to the CMDA for planning permission.

Agent tip: Check CMDA approval for projects in the region.

Coimbatore

General & Places

An industrial city in western Tamil Nadu known for textile, pump and engineering industries, and educational institutions. Its property market includes plotted layouts and apartments towards Saravanampatti and Singanallur.

Example & agent tip

Example: A mill owner's son buys a DTCP-approved plot near Saravanampatti for a future home.

Agent tip: In Tamil Nadu, ask for DTCP or local planning authority approval for plots (CMDA applies only in the Chennai area), and confirm the patta and sub-division status.

F

1 terms

Field Measurement Book (FMB)

Land Records

Also called: FMB, FMB Sketch

A sketch maintained by the survey department in Tamil Nadu showing the exact shape, sides and area of a survey field or its subdivision. It is the base for a patta, a sub-division and a boundary dispute.

Example & agent tip

Example: Asha sees in the FMB that her Coimbatore plot is 4,000 square feet on paper, while the deed claims 4,400, and asks for a corrected sub-division before building.

Agent tip: Ask for the FMB sketch for any rural or suburban plot in Tamil Nadu. A deed area that is higher than the FMB area is a warning sign.

G

1 terms

Ground (Tamil Nadu)

Measurement

A land unit used in Chennai and Tamil Nadu. One ground is 2,400 sq ft. Plots in Chennai are commonly priced per ground.

Example & agent tip

Example: A 1.5 ground plot in Chennai is 3,600 sq ft.

Agent tip: Do not confuse "ground floor" with "ground" as a unit when speaking to Chennai buyers.

Related: Cent Patta

M

1 terms

Manai

General & Places

Also called: மனை, Manai Pirivu

A Tamil word for a house site or plot, often used in advertisements in Tamil Nadu for residential plots in a layout, as in "manai pirivu" meaning a plot division.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer from Salem looks at a manai in a DTCP-approved layout and asks for the patta.

Agent tip: Check approval of the layout and the individual plot, including the patta and the encumbrance certificate.

N

1 terms

Nilam

General & Places

Also called: நிலம்

A Tamil word for land. In property listings it can mean any land, including farmland, so the type of land should be confirmed.

Example & agent tip

Example: A family in Erode sells ancestral nilam and asks whether it can be converted for housing.

Agent tip: Ask for the classification and the patta for any "nilam" before treating it as a building site.

O

1 terms

Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR)

General & Places

Also called: OMR, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, IT Corridor Chennai

A Chennai IT corridor, also called Rajiv Gandhi Salai, running along the coast south of the city through Perungudi, Sholinganallur and Navalur. It has offices, apartments and educational campuses.

Example & agent tip

Example: A Chennai family looks at a flat in Navalur for easy access to their daughter's office on OMR.

Agent tip: Parts of the corridor lie near coastal zones and lakes, so check CRZ and flood history for the plot or building.

P

2 terms

Patta

Land Records

A land record of possession and tax liability, used in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and some other states, issued by the revenue department. It records the holder, survey number and extent of land. It is not by itself proof of title.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer in Chennai asks the seller for the patta along with the sale deed.

Agent tip: Check the patta in the current owner's name. The patta may lag behind the sale deed if it has not been transferred.

Poramboke Land

Land Records

Also called: Poramboku, Porombok

Land in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and nearby states that belongs to the government or the public and is not assessed for revenue, such as water bodies, tanks, channels, grazing land and roads. It cannot normally be sold to private persons.

Example & agent tip

Example: A broker in Chennai offers cheap plots by a lake. The revenue map shows them as water-body poramboke, so no valid title can arise from the deed.

Agent tip: Check the land classification in the patta or village records. Anything marked poramboke is a major red flag.

T

1 terms

TNRERA

Authorities

The Tamil Nadu Real Estate Regulatory Authority, the regulator for Chennai, Coimbatore and the rest of Tamil Nadu.

Example & agent tip

Example: A Chennai buyer verifies a project on the TNRERA portal.

Agent tip: Tamil Nadu terms such as patta and ground are part of everyday deals.

How to become a RERA agent in Tamil Nadu →

V

1 terms

Veedu

General & Places

Also called: வீடு, Thani Veedu

The Tamil word for house or home. Listings in Tamil Nadu use it for independent houses, as in "thani veedu", and it is often paired with plot terms such as manai.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer in Madurai asks about a thani veedu with a separate meter and a free-standing plan.

Agent tip: Confirm that the title covers both land and building, and check the electricity and tax connections.

Adangal

Chitta

CMDA

Coimbatore

Field Measurement Book (FMB)

Ground (Tamil Nadu)

Manai

Nilam

Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR)

Patta

Poramboke Land

TNRERA

Veedu

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