Khata / Mutation
The official update of land revenue records into the new owner's name after a sale; the final step that records your ownership.
Mutation, and the resulting khata entry, is the process of updating the government's land revenue records to reflect a new owner after a sale, inheritance or gift. It is the administrative step that formally records that the property now stands in your name in the revenue system.
In a standard Gujarat purchase, mutation comes at the end of the chain. First you verify the sale deed, mother deed, a 30-year Encumbrance Certificate, the 7/12 extract and tax receipts. Then you execute the sale deed, pay stamp duty and registration, complete biometric registration at the sub-registrar, and finally obtain the khata or mutation in your name.
For a buyer, mutation matters because registration of the deed and updating of the revenue record are related but distinct. Until mutation is done, the revenue record may still show the previous holder, which can create disputes later. Treat obtaining the updated khata as part of closing the deal, not an optional afterthought. Read the Title and Documents Checklist, see the 7/12 Extract entry, and follow the steps in How to Verify a Dholera Plot.