Patta, chitta and adangal: what each record shows

Anyone dealing with rural land in Tamil Nadu soon meets three terms: patta, chitta and adangal. They are often mentioned together, and sometimes confused. Each record has a different purpose, and understanding them helps landowners and developers read land records correctly.

The short version

Patta

The patta is the main revenue record of who holds a piece of land. It lists the holder's name, survey number and subdivision, extent and classification. It is used in sales, leases, bank loans and many government processes. See what is patta and how to check it.

Chitta

Historically, the chitta was a separate village-level record showing details of land held by a person — ownership, extent and land type (often distinguishing wet land, called nanjai, and dry land, called punjai). In Tamil Nadu, the chitta has been integrated into the patta, so the two now appear as a single combined record in many contexts.

You may still see the word chitta in older documents, in conversation, or in references to "patta-chitta". In practice, today it refers to the integrated patta record.

Adangal

The adangal is the village account maintained for each survey number. It typically records:

• Survey number and subdivision
• Extent
• Land classification
• Details of cultivation, including crops grown in different seasons
• Sources of irrigation
• Other remarks recorded by village officials

Adangal is sometimes called the A-register extract in some contexts, though the A-register is itself a separate village register that records land classification and holder details. Terminology can vary, so check with the local revenue office what record is being referred to.

Why adangal matters

• It shows how the land is classified, which affects permitted uses and whether conversion is needed. See land use classification for projects.
• It shows how the land is actually used — cultivation and irrigation details.
• It can reveal inconsistencies — for example, land recorded as irrigated wetland but proposed for a solar plant.
• It may flag government or poramboke land within or adjoining a survey number.

Using the records together

Each record answers a different question:

• Patta: who holds the land, and how much?
• Adangal: how is it classified and used?
• FMB sketch: what is its shape and boundaries? See FMB sketch explained.
• Title deeds: who legally owns it, and how did they acquire it? See tracing a chain of title.
• Encumbrance certificate: what registered transactions affect it? See encumbrance certificate guide.

A careful review compares all of these and the land on the ground. Any inconsistency is a question to resolve.

Common inconsistencies

• Holder mismatch — patta in one name, deed in another
• Extent mismatch — patta, adangal and deed show different areas
• Classification mismatch — adangal shows wet land; land is actually dry and fallow, or vice versa
• Missing subdivisions — the deed refers to a subdivision that does not exist in records
• Government land — part of a survey number recorded as government land

Why developers check all three

For a renewable energy lease, developers need confidence that:

1. The lessor is the recognised holder (patta)
2. The lessor legally owns the land (deeds)
3. The land is of the extent and shape claimed (patta, FMB)
4. The land can be used for the project (adangal, classification)
5. Nothing registered against it blocks the lease (EC)

See documents needed to lease land for solar or wind.

Old terms you may still hear

Land discussions in Tamil Nadu often use older or local terms. Nanjai refers to wet land, typically irrigated and used for crops like paddy; punjai refers to dry land dependent on rainfall; poramboke refers to land recorded as government or common land, such as tank beds, roads or grazing land. Knowing these terms helps when reading adangal entries or talking with village officials, and when a parcel's records seem to describe a different kind of land than the one in front of you.

Common mistakes

• Treating patta-chitta as proof of legal title
• Ignoring adangal classification when planning a project
• Not checking whether government land lies within a survey number
• Assuming all records have been updated after a sale or partition
• Relying on old copies instead of current extracts

Where we fit

Through land documentation and due diligence support, we gather and compare patta, adangal, FMB and registration records for each parcel, highlight inconsistencies and coordinate their resolution before land is committed to a project. Formal title opinions come from qualified lawyers.