In Tamil Nadu, a patta is the revenue record naming the person in whose name land is held. A chitta is the village land register extract describing the land: its survey number, extent and class, such as wet (nanjai) or dry (punjai). Since 2015 the two have been issued together as one patta-chitta document.
Side by side
Factor
Patta
Chitta
State
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Answers
In whose name is the land held?
What is this land: extent and class?
Kept by
Revenue department (taluk)
Village Administrative Officer
Shows
Holder, survey number, extent
Survey number, extent, wet or dry classification, holder
Now
Issued as a combined patta-chitta
Issued as a combined patta-chitta
Proves title
No; strong revenue evidence
No
Changed by
Patta transfer after a sale or inheritance
Updated with the patta
When Patta matters
Before buying land, check that the patta is in the seller's name and matches the survey number and extent in the sale deed.
When Chitta matters
Use the chitta details to check the land's classification and extent; agricultural classification matters if you plan to build.
In more detail
Other Tamil Nadu records answer other questions: the adangal records cultivation each year and the A-register is the village's settlement record. A field measurement book (FMB) sketch shows the plot's shape.
None of these replaces the registered deed chain and an encumbrance certificate. After buying, apply to transfer the patta to your name.
Common questions
Are patta and chitta the same now?
They are issued together as one patta-chitta document, but they still answer different questions: who holds the land, and what the land is.
Is a patta a title deed?
No. It is a revenue record. The registered sale deed and the earlier deeds establish title.
What is the adangal?
The village officer's record of cultivation and use of the land, kept year by year.
Sources
Tamil Nadu revenue department e-services for land records
A plain-language summary, not legal or tax advice. Rules set by states differ and change; check the current position for your property.