Khatiyan Bihar: Download PDF Online, Meaning & Types (Patna 2026)
Short answer: Bihar khatiyans are online on the Bhu-Abhilekh portal (bhuabhilekh.bihar.gov.in). Sign in through Public Login with your mobile number, choose the document type (for example, Cadastral Survey Khatiyan), fill in district Patna, circle (anchal), mauza and khata/khesra, and click Search. View shows the scanned record; Apply for Download Copy gets you a digitally signed copy (PDF) after you pay the fee.
Getting the khatiyan is the easy part. Reading it, knowing which khatiyan it is (CS, RS or chakbandi) and matching it with today's jamabandi is what actually protects you. This guide covers all of it for Patna buyers and landowners.
An example: say someone working in Pune likes a 3-kattha plot in Danapur circle. The seller shows a jamabandi and the name matches. But the khatiyan records that khesra as "gairmazarua". That is a reason to stop and check very carefully (explained below), and the reason the khatiyan matters.
What is a khatiyan? (Meaning)
The Revenue Department's glossary defines the khatiyan as the Record of Rights prepared after a survey. It records the raiyat's name, rights, khata, khesra (plot number), area, land type, rent and possession, and it is the primary evidence of original ownership.
Think of the khatiyan as the land's root record: whose name the land was recorded in at the survey. Every later sale, partition and inheritance is entered in the jamabandi (Register-II).
| Entry in the khatiyan | What it means |
|---|---|
| Raiyat's name | The person the land was recorded under at the survey |
| Khata | The raiyat's account number, listing all their land (like a bank account number) |
| Khesra | The survey number of each plot, unique within a revenue village (mauza) |
| Area (rakba) | Size of the land |
| Land type (kism) | The class of land, such as raiyati, bakasht or gairmazarua |
| Rent (lagan) | The government land rent fixed on it |
| Rights and possession | What kind of right the raiyat holds and who is in possession |
Per the glossary, when land is transferred by sale or succession, the same khata number goes with that land to the new heir or buyer. So for any plot in Patna, first ask the seller for the mauza, khata and khesra numbers.
Types of khatiyan: CS vs RS vs chakbandi
| Khatiyan | When it was made | What it means for a buyer |
|---|---|---|
| CS (Cadastral Survey) khatiyan | British era, in Bihar's first land survey under the Bihar Tenancy Act 1885 (roughly 1898 to 1920 across Bihar) | The first Record of Rights. Still treated as the base record in most districts. |
| RS (Revisional Survey) khatiyan | After independence, a second survey in many districts from 1952 | An updated version of the CS record and legally important, but this survey did not happen in every district. |
| Chakbandi khatiyan | In villages where land consolidation (chakbandi) was carried out | Khesra numbers and areas can change after consolidation, so check both the older and the chakbandi khatiyan. |
| Special survey Record of Rights | The ongoing Bihar Special Survey and Settlement, village by village | Where final publication is done, this becomes the new khatiyan. Every raiyat should collect their "raiyati fard". |
Which khatiyan to check in Patna? Check every khatiyan the Bhu-Abhilekh portal has for your mauza (cadastral, revisional, chakbandi). Not every mauza will have every type. If an RS khatiyan exists, compare it with the CS record to see how the khesra and area changed.
Land type in the khatiyan: raiyati, bakasht, gairmazarua
The "kism" column tells you a lot. From the department's glossary:
| Land type | Meaning | What a buyer should do |
|---|---|---|
| Raiyati | Private land held with a raiyat's (tenant-holder's) rights | This is normal saleable land. Still match today's jamabandi. |
| Bakasht | Land under the zamindar's own cultivation when zamindari was abolished (Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950) | Trace whose jamabandi it came into later, and how. |
| Gairmazarua aam | Common land for public use: grazing grounds, ponds, roads, graveyards, open grounds, rivers | No private ownership. Do not buy it. |
| Gairmazarua khas/malik | Land in the zamindar's possession that was not recorded as tenant holding | Vested in the State after the 1950 land reforms. Don't pay anything without a firm check at the circle office. |
In Patna's outer areas (Danapur, Phulwari, Bihta, Naubatpur, Punpun and others), farmland is often cut into plots. Read the land type in the khatiyan yourself; don't rely on what a middleman says.
How to download a Bihar khatiyan online (step by step)
These steps follow the department's official booklet "Biharbhumi: information on online services" (pages 14-15):
- Open biharbhumi.bihar.gov.in and click Bhu-Abhilekh, or go straight to bhuabhilekh.bihar.gov.in.
- Choose Public Login and sign in with your mobile number and OTP (register first if you're new).
- After logging in you get the record search. Pick the document type, such as Cadastral Survey Khatiyan, Revisional Survey Khatiyan or Chakbandi Khatiyan.
- Fill in whatever applies: district (Patna), circle, mauza, khata, khesra, party (raiyat) name, case number, year. Click Search.
- A list of matching records appears. Click View next to a record to see the scan.
- For a digitally signed copy, click Apply for Download Copy, enter which pages you need, and the fee is shown.
- Click Send Application, check the details, then Make Payment.
- Keep the payment receipt. Track the request under Track Application in the profile menu.
What does it cost? The fee for a digitally signed copy depends on the pages you select and is shown on the portal before you pay. Figures like "₹10-20 per page" that circulate online are not in any official source we found, so go by the amount the portal shows.
Can't find it? The portal's disclaimer says the scanned image is the authentic record, while the typed data is only for searching. Typing errors in names and numbers are therefore possible. Search separately by khata, khesra and name, and try different spellings.
The portal's look changes from time to time; if a label differs slightly, the sequence stays the same (checked 15 October 2026).
What else is on the Bhu-Abhilekh portal?
The department's booklet lists 28 kinds of records on the portal. The ones that matter most to a Patna buyer:
- Cadastral survey, revisional survey and chakbandi khatiyans
- Revenue village maps
- Digitised jamabandi register
- Mutation (dakhil-kharij) registers and records
- Land measurement registers and records
- Gairmazarua aam/khas/Kaiser-e-Hind land registers
- Land ceiling and Bhoodan registers
Village maps can be viewed on the separate Bhu-Naksha portal, and the department also offers doorstep delivery of revenue maps.
Old khatiyan in Kaithi script? How to read it
Khatiyans and deeds more than a hundred years old are often written in Kaithi, a script few people read today. Bihar Bhumi offers two things:
- Kaithi document translation service, used after citizen login on Bihar Bhumi.
- A free Kaithi script textbook (PDF) on the Bihar Bhumi home page, to learn the letters.
Don't decide a deal on your own reading of a Kaithi khatiyan. Have someone experienced read it first.
Khatiyan vs jamabandi: what's the difference?
| Khatiyan | Jamabandi (Register-II) | |
|---|---|---|
| Tells you | Whose name the land was recorded in at the survey | Whose name it is in today, the rent, and up to when it is paid |
| Changes? | No, a new one comes only with a new survey | Yes, entries are added or corrected after every mutation |
| Where | Bhu-Abhilekh portal (login needed) | Bihar Bhumi, "View Jamabandi Register" (no login) |
The khatiyan tells you where the land came from; the jamabandi tells you whose it is now. Sale deeds, partitions and mutations connect the two. Our guide on how to check jamabandi, khatiyan and LPC online in Patna covers the jamabandi and LPC side step by step.
Khatiyan still in a grandfather's name: what now?
A lot of land around Patna is still recorded in the khatiyan under a grandfather or great-grandfather. In that case:
- Prepare a vanshavali (family tree) from the khatiyan raiyat down to every living heir.
- Check the jamabandi: are the heirs' names entered? If not, a dakhil-kharij (mutation) application is filed on the basis of succession or partition.
- If you are buying: go ahead only when every co-sharer signs the sale deed or has given up their share through a registered document, and the seller's jamabandi is online. Otherwise your mutation can get stuck after registry.
Why the khatiyan matters in the Bihar special survey
Bihar is in the middle of a Special Survey and Settlement, which is making new maps from aerial photographs and a new Record of Rights (khatiyan). According to the department's special survey FAQ, a raiyat must:
- Submit a self-declaration (Prapatra-2) at the camp with khesra-wise boundaries, attaching a copy of the jamabandi number or rent receipt, a copy of the khatiyan (if available), details of documents for the land claimed, the death certificate (or date/year of death) of a deceased jamabandi raiyat, Aadhaar and a mobile number, among others.
- Fill in the vanshavali (Prapatra 3(1)) and submit it at the camp or settlement office.
- Check the khanapuri parcha, the draft Record of Rights and the final Record of Rights, and file claims or objections in the set forms if anything is wrong.
- Collect a copy of the final Record of Rights, the "raiyati fard", from the camp or settlement office.
You can see which stage the survey has reached in your village or town at dlrs.bihar.gov.in → special survey services, along with the khanapuri parcha and published records. Landowners living outside Patna should keep checking so they don't miss the objection window.
What to match in the khatiyan before buying a plot in Patna
| Check | Where | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Land type | Khatiyan | Recorded as gairmazarua aam or khas/malik |
| Khesra and area | Khatiyan + jamabandi | Area being sold doesn't match the khatiyan/jamabandi area |
| Chain from raiyat to seller | Khatiyan + deeds + vanshavali | A missing deed or heir in between |
| Today's holder | Jamabandi register | Jamabandi is not in the seller's name |
| Location on the map | Bhu-Naksha / revenue map | The plot shown on the ground doesn't match the khesra on the map |
| Mortgage | Mortgaged land search | A bank mortgage recorded on the land |
Deals in Patna are struck in kattha and dhur (roughly 1 kattha = 20 dhur), while government records usually give area in acres and decimals. The conversion is in our Patna plot buying guide.
All the other official records for a plot (map, mutation status, mortgage, registration ban, court cases, e-Mapi) in one place: Bihar Land Records Online: every record for Patna land.
- "Biharbhumi: information on online services" booklet, Revenue and Land Reforms Department — page 14 (getting a digitally signed copy on the Bhu-Abhilekh portal; rule 297(a), Bihar Record Manual 1960), page 15 (the 28 records on the portal), page 32 (special survey services) — PDF
- Bihar Revenue Glossary — definitions of CS/RS khatiyan, khatiyan, khata, khesra, fard, bakasht, gairmazarua — PDF
- "FAQ of Bihar Special Survey" — Q3 (cadastral survey about 1898–1920 under the Bihar Tenancy Act 1885), Q4 (raiyats' duties, Prapatra 2 and 3(1), raiyati fard) — PDF
- Bhu-Abhilekh portal disclaimer (scanned image is authentic; typed data is for search only) — bhuabhilekh.bihar.gov.in
- All portals and PDFs checked on 15.10.2026.
What should you do? (our advice)
- Before paying any token, get the mauza, khata and khesra from the seller and check both the khatiyan and the jamabandi yourself.
- Read the land type. If it says gairmazarua, confirm the status at the circle office before going further.
- For a court, bank or the survey, use a digitally signed copy, not a screenshot of the scan.
- Connect the full chain from the old khatiyan to today's seller (deeds, family tree, mutations). This is where it breaks most often.
- Check the master plan zone too: Patna Master Plan 2031 explained. All our land record guides are in the Land Records topic.
Khatiyan: frequently asked questions
- How do I download a khatiyan online in Bihar?
Sign in on bhuabhilekh.bihar.gov.in through Public Login with your mobile number, choose the document type (such as Cadastral Survey Khatiyan), fill in district, circle, mauza and khata/khesra, and search. View shows the scan; Apply for Download Copy gives a digitally signed copy after payment.
- What is the fee for a khatiyan PDF?
The fee for a digitally signed copy depends on the number of pages you select and is shown on the portal before you pay. Go by that amount, not by estimates found online.
- What is a khatiyan?
A khatiyan is the Record of Rights prepared after a land survey. It records the raiyat's name, rights, khata, khesra, area, land type, rent and possession, and is the primary evidence of original ownership.
- What is the difference between CS and RS khatiyan?
The CS (cadastral survey) khatiyan came from the first, British-era survey and is the base record in most districts. The RS (revisional survey) khatiyan came from a second survey held in many districts from 1952, but not in all of them.
- What is the difference between khatiyan and jamabandi?
The khatiyan shows whose name the land was recorded in at the survey. The jamabandi (Register-II) shows whose name it is in today and is updated after every mutation.
- What if I can't find my khatiyan online?
Search separately by khata, khesra and raiyat name, because the search data was typed in and may contain errors. If it still doesn't show, ask your circle office where that mauza's record can be obtained.
- How can I read a khatiyan written in Kaithi?
Bihar Bhumi offers a Kaithi document translation service after citizen login, and a free Kaithi script textbook. Have someone experienced confirm the reading before any deal.
This article is based on information on the Revenue and Land Reforms Department, Bihar portals and publications up to 15 October 2026. Portals and rules can change — confirm with the circle office before making any decision.
