Jamabandi is the land record of a village in India. It shows who owns the land, how much land they hold, and how the land is recorded by the revenue department. If you own agricultural land, if you are buying land, or if you need to prove ownership for a loan, the Jamabandi is the document you will be asked for. This guide explains what Jamabandi means, what a Jamabandi Nakal is, how Jamabandi differs from Fard, Khatauni, and Khasra, and how to check Jamabandi online, state by state, on the official portals — free of charge.
What is Jamabandi? Meaning and definition
Jamabandi (जमाबंदी) is the record of rights for a village, prepared by the revenue department. The word comes from the revenue language of north India: “jama” refers to the amount, and “bandi” refers to the settlement or fixing of that amount. In practice, the Jamabandi is the register that settles, for each field in a village, who the owner is, how much land they hold, who cultivates it, and what revenue is payable on it.
The Jamabandi is prepared by the patwari, the village revenue official, and it is updated at regular intervals — usually every five years, in a process called the Jamabandi settlement. Between settlements, changes such as a sale, a gift, or a division of land are recorded through mutations (intkal), and those changes appear in the next Jamabandi. Because it is the official record of rights, the Jamabandi is used to prove ownership when land is sold, when a loan is taken against land, in family settlements, and in court cases about land.
It is important to understand that the Jamabandi is a record, not a title deed by itself. It shows what the revenue department has recorded about a piece of land. If the Jamabandi and a sale deed disagree, both documents are looked at, and the revenue authorities — or a court — decide which record is correct. Always check the Jamabandi against the sale deed and the mutation before you rely on it.
What is Jamabandi Nakal?
A Jamabandi Nakal is a copy or extract of the Jamabandi for a particular holding. When a landowner asks for “my Jamabandi”, they usually mean a Nakal — the printed copy that shows the entries for their Khewat or Khatauni. A Nakal shows the village, the Khewat and Khatauni numbers, the names of the owners with their shares, the Khasra numbers, the area of each field, the type of land, and the name of the cultivator.
You can view a Jamabandi Nakal online on the official portal of your state, free of charge. The printout from the portal is for information. For legal use — for example, in a court case or for a bank loan — a certified copy from the tehsil office may be required. A certified copy is stamped and signed by the revenue office, and it is the version that courts and banks accept.
Jamabandi vs Fard vs Khatauni vs Khasra
Four words cause the most confusion for people checking a land record for the first time. They are related, but they are not the same thing:
| Term | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Jamabandi | The record of rights for a whole village | The Jamabandi of village Rampur |
| Fard | A copy or extract of the Jamabandi for one holding (in Punjab, the Fard is the usual name for the copy) | The Fard of Khewat 15 |
| Khatauni (Khatoni) | The account of a cultivator — the person who actually farms the land | Khatauni 42, cultivator Ramesh |
| Khasra | The number given to one field; the smallest unit of the record | Khasra 123, area 1 kanal |
In short: the Jamabandi is the book for the village, the Fard is a page from that book, the Khatauni is the account of the farmer, and the Khasra is the number of one field. When you search an official portal, you will be asked to choose one of these — the Khewat, the Khatauni, the Khasra, or the owner’s name — to find your record.
What details does a Jamabandi show?
- The village name, the Hadbast number, and the year of the Jamabandi.
- The Khewat number — the group of owners who hold land together.
- The names of the owners, their father’s names, and their shares in the land.
- The Khatauni number and the name of the cultivator.
- The Khasra numbers of the fields, the area of each field, and the type of land.
- The land revenue payable and any remarks, such as a mortgage or a tenancy.
State-wise: official Jamabandi portals
Land records in India are kept by the states, so there is no single national Jamabandi website. Each state has its own official portal. Use the state page on this website for a detailed guide, and use the portal link to check your own record:
| State | State guide on this site | Official portal | What the record is called |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haryana | Jamabandi Haryana | jamabandi.nic.in | Jamabandi Nakal |
| Punjab | Jamabandi Punjab | jamabandi.punjab.gov.in (PLRS) | Fard / Jamabandi |
| Rajasthan | Jamabandi Rajasthan | apnakhata.rajasthan.gov.in (Apna Khata) | Jamabandi Nakal / Khatauni |
| Himachal Pradesh | Jamabandi Himachal Pradesh | himbhoomi.nic.in (HimBhoomi) | Jamabandi Nakal |
| Bihar | Jamabandi Bihar | biharbhumi.bihar.gov.in (Bihar Bhumi) | Jamabandi / Khatiyan |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Jamabandi Jammu and Kashmir | landrecords.jk.gov.in | Jamabandi Nakal |
For detailed step-by-step help, see our Jamabandi Haryana step-by-step guide and our Jamabandi Punjab Fard guide. More state guides are listed in the Land Records Guide category.
How to check Jamabandi online: step-by-step
The steps are similar in every state. Follow them in order:
- Open the official portal of your state from the table above.
- Choose the option to view the Jamabandi, Nakal, Fard, or Khatauni, as it is named on that portal.
- Select your district, then the tehsil or Anchal, and then your village, using the lists shown.
- Choose how to search: by owner name, by Khewat number, by Khatauni number, or by Khasra number.
- Enter the detail you know. For an owner search, type the name as it appears in the record. For a Khewat, Khatauni, or Khasra search, type only the number.
- Choose the correct result from the list, and check the details on the screen: owner name, Khewat, Khatauni, Khasra numbers, area, and land type.
- Use the portal’s print or download option to save the Nakal for your own reference.
Haryana example: check Jamabandi at jamabandi.nic.in
Haryana’s portal is a good example, because it shows the pattern used by other states. Open jamabandi.nic.in, choose the option to view the Jamabandi Nakal, select your district, tehsil, and village, and search by owner name, Khewat, Khatauni, or Khasra number. The Nakal opens as a table showing the owner names, shares, Khasra numbers, and area in kanals and marlas. You can print it from the portal. The full screen-by-screen walkthrough is in our Jamabandi Haryana step-by-step guide, and the Punjab equivalent is in our Jamabandi Punjab Fard guide.
Documents and details you need
You do not need any document to view a Jamabandi online — the record is public, and the portals do not ask for an Aadhaar number or a payment. What you do need is information: the district, tehsil, and village of the land, and at least one of the owner’s name, the Khewat number, the Khatauni number, or the Khasra number. Those details are on an old Jamabandi Nakal, a sale deed, a Fard, or a mutation document. If you know none of them, the patwari of the village can give you the Khewat and Khasra numbers.
For a certified copy, for a correction, or for a mutation, you will need documents: the sale deed or gift deed, the mutation order, an identity document, and — for a correction — proof of the correct entry, such as a court order. The tehsil office will tell you exactly which documents are needed in your state.
Common mistakes when checking Jamabandi online
- Searching by owner name with the wrong spelling: Names are recorded with local spellings that often differ from identity documents. Search by Khasra or Khewat number instead — it does not depend on spelling.
- Using a private website that charges a fee: The official portals show the record free of charge. A website that charges for a Jamabandi Nakal is selling you a free record.
- Reading the wrong row: A Khewat often contains several Khasra numbers and more than one owner. Check the owner’s name and share before you read the area.
- Confusing the cultivator with the owner: The Khatauni names the person who farms the land. The owner is shown in the Khewat column. For ownership, read the Khewat.
- Relying on an old Jamabandi after a sale: If the land was sold after the last Jamabandi was prepared, the old owner’s name remains until the mutation is entered. Check the mutation record as well as the Jamabandi.
- Trusting a printout for legal use: A printout from a portal is for information. For a court case or a bank loan, obtain a certified copy from the tehsil office.
What to do if a detail in the Jamabandi is wrong
If a name, area, or share in the Jamabandi is wrong, you will need to apply for a correction through the patwari or the tehsil office of the district where the land is located, with the documents that prove the correct entry. A correction is made by the revenue department, not by any website. Jamabandi.org is an independent guide website: it explains how to check the record, but it cannot correct it, and it is not affiliated with any government portal. For more about who we are, see our About Us page and our Disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
What is Jamabandi?
Jamabandi is the record of rights for a village, prepared by the revenue department. It shows who owns the land, how much land they hold, who cultivates it, and what revenue is payable. It is the main document used to prove ownership of agricultural land.
How can I check Jamabandi Nakal online?
Open the official land records portal of your state — for example, jamabandi.nic.in for Haryana or jamabandi.punjab.gov.in for Punjab — select your district, tehsil, and village, and search by owner name, Khewat, Khatauni, or Khasra number to view the Jamabandi Nakal.
Is checking Jamabandi online free?
Yes. Viewing the Jamabandi on the official state portals is free, and you do not need to create an account. A certified copy from the tehsil office may carry a small government fee.
What is the difference between Jamabandi and Fard?
Jamabandi is the full record of rights for a village. A Fard is the copy or extract of the Jamabandi for a particular holding. In Punjab, people usually say “Fard” when they mean the Jamabandi copy for their land.
Can I download Jamabandi Nakal online?
Yes. On the official portals you can print the Jamabandi Nakal or save it as a PDF for your own reference. The printout is for information; for legal use, obtain a certified copy from the tehsil office.
What should I do if my name is not in the Jamabandi?
First, check whether the land was bought after the last Jamabandi was prepared — the seller’s name may still appear until the mutation is entered. If the mutation has been sanctioned and your name is still missing, apply to the patwari or tehsil office with your sale deed and mutation order to have the record corrected.
Conclusion
Jamabandi is the backbone of land ownership records in India, and checking it online is now free and straightforward: choose your state’s official portal, search by Khewat, Khatauni, Khasra, or owner name, and read the Nakal carefully. Start with the state guide for your land — Jamabandi Haryana, Jamabandi Punjab, Jamabandi Rajasthan, Jamabandi Himachal Pradesh, Jamabandi Bihar, or Jamabandi Jammu and Kashmir — and if you need a certified copy or a correction, visit the tehsil office with your documents.
A final note: how often is the Jamabandi updated?
A Jamabandi is not a live record that changes on the day a sale is registered. It is prepared by the patwari every few years — in most states, once in four or five years — and it reflects the state of land ownership at the time it was made. That is why every Jamabandi carries a year or a period in its heading, such as 2021–22, and why a name can still appear in it after the land has been sold. Between one Jamabandi and the next, each change of ownership is recorded through a mutation, called intkal in many states, which the patwari enters in the mutation register.
When the next Jamabandi is prepared, those mutations are taken into account, so the new record shows the current owner. If you recently bought land and your name does not appear yet, first check whether your mutation has been entered and sanctioned. If it has, the change will appear in the next Jamabandi automatically, and you can use the mutation order as proof in the meantime.