Indian land documents are full of units — bigha, katha, biswa, gaj, cent, guntha, kanal, marla — and they change by region. Here's a plain-language guide so you can read a listing or land record with confidence.
The standard (fixed) units
These mean the same thing everywhere:
- Square foot (sq ft): the base unit for property.
- Gaj (square yard): 1 gaj = 9 sq ft. Common in North India for plots.
- Square metre: 1 sq m ≈ 10.76 sq ft.
- Acre: 1 acre = 43,560 sq ft — the standard large-area unit.
- Hectare: 1 hectare = 10,000 sq m ≈ 107,639 sq ft (about 2.47 acres).
Regional units (fixed values, used in certain areas)
- Cent (South India): 1 cent = 435.6 sq ft (1/100 of an acre).
- Ground (Tamil Nadu): 1 ground = 2,400 sq ft.
- Guntha (Maharashtra/Karnataka): 1 guntha = 1,089 sq ft (40 guntha = 1 acre).
- Ankanam (Andhra/Telangana): 1 ankanam = 72 sq ft.
- Kanal & Marla (Punjab, Haryana, HP, J&K): 1 kanal = 5,445 sq ft; 1 marla = 272.25 sq ft (20 marla = 1 kanal).
The units that vary by state
These are the tricky ones — their size changes by region:
- Bigha: ranges from about 6,800 to 27,000+ sq ft depending on the state (and pakka vs kaccha).
- Katha (kattha): a subdivision of bigha, so it also varies — often around 720–2,880 sq ft.
- Biswa: another bigha subdivision, commonly around 1,350 sq ft in parts of North India.
Because these vary, always check the value for your specific state and district.
How to read a land record
- Find the unit used (bigha, gaj, acre, etc.).
- Check the region — for bigha/katha/biswa, the state matters.
- Convert to a standard unit (sq ft or acre) to compare plots fairly.
- Verify against the official record (Bhulekh / Record of Rights).
Convert any unit for free
Use the free Land Area Converter to switch between all of these — pick your state for bigha/katha/biswa, and it uses the locally-common value. Popular ones: bigha to square feet, gaj to square feet, acre to square feet and marla to kanal.
Understanding the units is the first step to reading any Indian land document with confidence — and always confirm the exact figures locally before you buy or sell.
A practical way to read a land document
When a document mixes units, convert everything to one reference unit first—usually square feet, square metres or hectares—then compare values. Keep the original unit written beside the converted figure so you can trace the calculation later.
| If the document says | First check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Bigha | State/district convention | The value varies widely |
| Katha | State and local definition | Not nationally standardised |
| Gaj | Whether it means square yard in context | Linear and area units are different |
| Acre/hectare | Decimal placement | A small input error can be large |
Try the Land Area Converter for estimates, then verify a transaction figure against the relevant local record.
Common mistakes
- Comparing two plots before converting them to the same area unit.
- Treating a traditional unit as a fixed national standard.
- Confusing a length measurement with a square-area measurement.