What is khatauni?
Also called: khatoni, khatauni nakal, record of rights UP, adhikar abhilekh
The khatauni is Uttar Pradesh's (and Uttarakhand's) record of rights: it shows who holds each khata, which gata or khasra numbers fall under it, the area, and each co-owner's share.
If you are buying land or a plot anywhere in UP, from a farm near Lucknow to a plot on the Yamuna Expressway belt, the khatauni is the first paper to ask for. It is prepared village by village and lists each account (khata) with the holders' names, their fathers' names, the class of land, the gata numbers in that account and the share each person holds. It is maintained under the UP Revenue Code, 2006, and updated whenever a mutation order is passed by the tehsildar.
You can see it free on UP Bhulekh (upbhulekh.gov.in): pick the district, tehsil and village, then search by khata number, gata number or owner's name. The online view is for information. For a bank, a court or a registry office you'll usually need a certified copy, which is issued through the tehsil or a Jan Seva Kendra and carries a digital signature. Uttarakhand runs its own Bhulekh site on the same pattern.
Read the remarks column carefully. Mortgages to cooperative banks, court stays, and land vested in the gram sabha often appear there, and the same page tells you whether the land is bhumidhari with transferable rights, the kind you actually want. Old khataunis are dated in fasli years rather than calendar years, which confuses people comparing two copies.
A khatauni is strong evidence of possession and revenue title but it is not a title deed. Pair it with the chain of registered sale deeds, and make sure the latest registry has been mutated into it. If the seller bought only last year and his name still isn't there, the mutation is pending and you would be buying from someone the revenue record doesn't yet recognise.
A family in Barabanki is selling 0.253 hectare out of khata 00172. The khatauni lists four brothers as co-bhumidhars with a quarter share each, so all four must sign the sale deed; one brother's signature covers only 0.063 hectare.
Taking a screenshot from UP Bhulekh as proof and skipping the certified copy. Banks and the sub-registrar want the certified khatauni, and the screenshot won't show whether an order was passed last week.
Questions people ask about khatauni
How do I get my name into the khatauni after buying land in UP?
After registration, apply for mutation (dakhil kharij) at the tehsil or online. The tehsildar issues notice, hears objections if any, and then orders the entry; the case status can be tracked on the UP revenue court site, vaad.up.nic.in.
What does "bhumidhar with transferable rights" mean in the khatauni?
It means the holder can sell, gift or mortgage the land. Land held with non-transferable rights, or recorded as gram sabha land, cannot be validly sold.