# Bigha

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The **bigha** or **beegah** (Urdu: بیگھا, Hindi: बीघा, [Bengali](/source/Bengali_alphabet): বিঘা) is a traditional [unit of measurement](/source/Unit_of_measurement) of [area](/source/Area) of a land, commonly used in northern and eastern [India](/source/India), [Bangladesh](/source/Bangladesh) and [Nepal](/source/Nepal). There is no "standard" size of bigha and it varies considerably from place to place.[1]

On an average, Bigha ranges from 6,806.25 square feet (632.321 m2) to 27,225 square feet (2,529.3 m2). Its sub-unit is Biswa or [Katha](/source/Katha_(unit)) in many regions, but it has no "standard" size. A bigha may have 5 to 20 Katha/ biswa in different regions, where 1 Katha is usually 1,361.25 square feet (126.464 m2) or 151.25 square yard.[2]

## Sub-unit

A bigha may have 5 to 20 [Katha](/source/Katha_(unit)) or Biswa in different regions, where 1 Katha usually range between 1,089 square feet (101.2 m2) and 1,361.25 square feet (126.464 m2). In Assam and [West Bengal](/source/West_Bengal) Katha is 2,880 square feet (268 m2).

Commonly used size of Bigha in [Uttar Pradesh](/source/Uttar_Pradesh), Bihar and Jharkhand are as follows: (here 1 Katha/ Biswa is 1,361.25 sq feet)

Type of Bigha Sq feet Sq yard Sq metre 5 Biswa 6,806.25 756.25 632.32 6.6667 Biswa 9,075 1,008.33 843.09 20 Biswa 27,225 3,025.00 2,529.28

Commonly used size of Bigha in [Haryana](/source/Haryana), Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and [Himachal Pradesh](/source/Himachal_Pradesh) are as follows: (here, 1 Biswa is 1,089 sq feet)

Type of Bigha Sq feet Sq yard Sq metre 8 Biswa 8,712 968.00 809.37 16 Biswa 17,424 1,936.00 1,618.74 20 Biswa 21,780 2,420.00 2,023.43

## Uses in India

Main article: [List of customary units of measurement in South Asia](/source/List_of_customary_units_of_measurement_in_South_Asia)

The Bigha is a traditional unit of land in several parts of North & East [India](/source/India). Sale and purchase of land (particularly agricultural land) is still done unofficially in this unit. However, the area is recorded mostly in [hectare](/source/Hectare) or [Acre](/source/Acre) and sometimes in [square metre](/source/Square_metre) or [square yard](/source/Square_yard) in official land records. Bigha varies in size from one part of India to another. Various states and often regions within the same state have different sizes attributed to the bigha. It is usually less than one acre or 43,560 square feet (4,047 m2) but can extend up to 3 acres in some areas.

In India, Bigha is commonly used in the states of [Uttarakhand](/source/Uttarakhand), [Haryana](/source/Haryana), [Himachal Pradesh](/source/Himachal_Pradesh), [Punjab](/source/Punjab,_India), [Madhya Pradesh](/source/Madhya_Pradesh), [Uttar Pradesh](/source/Uttar_Pradesh), [Bihar](/source/Bihar), [Jharkhand](/source/Jharkhand), [West Bengal](/source/West_Bengal), [Assam](/source/Assam), [Gujarat](/source/Gujarat) and [Rajasthan](/source/Rajasthan). However, in [Maharashtra](/source/Maharashtra) and [Tamil Nadu](/source/Tamil_Nadu), Bigha is not in practical measurement unit.

### Assam (অসম)

In [Assam](/source/Assam), a bigha (বিঘা) is 14,400 square feet (1,340 m2) or 1,600 sq yard. One bigha is divided into 5 Katha.[3][4] Each [Katha](/source/Katha_(unit)) (কঠা) consists of 20 Lessa (লেচা). Hence each Katha is 2,880 square feet (268 m2) in area, although this may vary within different regions of Assam. 4 bighas together are further termed as a Pura (পূৰা).

- 1 [Katha](/source/Katha_(unit)) (কঠা) = 2,880 square feet (268 m2) or 320 sq yard
- 1 Lessa (লেচা) = 144 square feet (13.4 m2) or 16 sq yard
- 1 [Acre](/source/Acre) (একৰ) = 3.025 bigha and 1 [Hectare](/source/Hectare) (হেক্টৰ) = 7.475 bigha (Assam)

### Bihar

In [Bihar](/source/Bihar), different regions have different sizes of Bigha. Near the capital, [Patna](/source/Patna), one bigha is equivalent to 20 [Katha](/source/Katha_(unit)).[5] 1 Katha is equals to 1,361.25 square feet (126.464 m2) or 151.25 [square yard](/source/Square_yard).

One Katha is further subdivided in 20 dhur. Hence each Dhur is 68.05 square feet (6.322 m2). One Dhur is subdivided in 20 dhurki, each Dhurki being 3.403 square feet (0.3161 m2).

- One [decimal](/source/Decimal_(unit)) is equal to 435.60 sq feet[6][7][8] or 1/100 acre.
- One [Acre](/source/Acre) = 43,560 square feet (4,047 m2) or 4,840 sq. yard.
- 1 Bigha (बीघा) = 20 Katha (कठ्ठा) = 2,529 m2 or 3,025 sq. yard or 27,225 sq. feet
- 1 [Katha](/source/Katha_(unit)) (कठ्ठा) = 20 Dhur (धुर) = 126.46 m2 or 151.25 sq. yard or 1,361.25 sq. feet
- 1 [Acre](/source/Acre) = 1.6 Bigha = 100 decimal; and 1 [Hectare](/source/Hectare) = 3.95 Bigha (Patna)

Note: Katha also varies from place to place. 1 Katha in [Muzaffarpur](/source/Muzaffarpur) is 1,901 square feet (176.6 m2); and in [West Champaran](/source/West_Champaran) is 3,267 square feet (303.5 m2).

### Himachal Pradesh

In [Himachal Pradesh](/source/Himachal_Pradesh), five bigha is equal to one [Acre](/source/Acre). Hence, 1 Bigha = 8,712 square feet (809.4 m2) or 968 square yard. One [Hectare](/source/Hectare) is equal to 12.35 bigha.

### Punjab

Main article: [Measurement of land in Punjab](/source/Measurement_of_land_in_Punjab)

In [Punjab](/source/Punjab,_India) and [Haryana](/source/Haryana), 2 bigha is equal to one acre, each bigha is 4 kanals, each kanal is 20 marlas, each marla is 9 square karam. Each square Karam is 30.25 [square feet](/source/Square_feet) (5.5 feet X 5.5 feet), each karam is 5.5 feet.

See [measurement of land in Punjab](/source/Measurement_of_land_in_Punjab) as below:

- 1 Killa = 1 [Acre](/source/Acre) (4,046.8 [square metre](/source/Square_metre) or 4,840 [square yard](/source/Square_yard))
- 1 Killa = 8 Kanal = 2 Bigha = 160 Marla
- 1 Bigha = 4 Kanal = 0.5 Killa = 80 Marla
- 1 Bigha = 2,023.4 [square metre](/source/Square_metre) or 2,420 [square yard](/source/Square_yard)
- 1 [Kanal](/source/Kanal_(unit)) = 20 Marla = 0.25 Bigha (605 [square yard](/source/Square_yard))
- 1 [Marla](/source/Marla_(unit)) = 25.2928 [square metre](/source/Square_metre) or 30.25 [square yard](/source/Square_yard)

### Madhya Pradesh

In [Madhya Pradesh](/source/Madhya_Pradesh), one Bigha has 20 Katha, where 1 [Katha](/source/Katha_(unit)) = 600 square feet (56 m2). Therefore 1 bigha = 12,000 square feet (1,100 m2).

### Rajasthan

In [Rajasthan](/source/Rajasthan), One Pucca Bigha = 27,225 square feet (2,529.3 m2) or 3,025 square yard. A plot of land with each side 165 feet is called as Bigha (165 ft × 165 ft).

- One Kaccha Bigha = 17,424 square feet (1,618.7 m2) or 1,936 square yard.[9]

### Uttar Pradesh

In [Uttar Pradesh](/source/Uttar_Pradesh), one bigha can mean different things to people in different districts of the state. One Bigha in UP ranges from 5 biswa to 20 biswa. Here one [Biswa](/source/Katha_(unit)) is 1,361.25 square feet (126.464 m2) or 151.25 square yard.

- In Western UP, 1 bigha is usually equal to 5 biswa i.e. 6,806.25 square feet (632.321 m2) or 756.25 [square yard](/source/Square_yard). In some districts it can be 6.6667 biswa i.e. 9,075 square feet (843.1 m2) or 1,008.33 [square yard](/source/Square_yard).
- In [Eastern UP](/source/Purvanchal) and [Lucknow](/source/Lucknow), 1 bigha is equal to 20 biswa. Hence 1 Bigha in [Purvanchal](/source/Purvanchal) is 27,225 square feet (2,529.3 m2) or 3,025 [square yard](/source/Square_yard).

### Uttarakhand

In [Uttarakhand](/source/Uttarakhand), one bigha is different in plain and hilly areas.

- In Hilly area, 1 Bigha is 6,806.25 [square feet](/source/Square_feet) or 632.32 square metres (756.25 sq yd).
- In Plain area, 1 Bigha is 17,424 square feet or 1,618.74 square metres (1,936.00 sq yd)

Nali is also commonly used in Hilly area. 1 Nali is 2,160 [square feet](/source/Square_feet) or 200.67 square metres (240.00 sq yd). 1 Bigha can vary from 3.151 to 8.06 Nali.

### West Bengal

In [West Bengal](/source/West_Bengal), the Bigha was standardized under British colonial rule at 14,400 square feet (1,340 m2) or 1,600 square yard. This is often interpreted as being 1/3 Acre (it is precisely 40⁄121 Acre). Therefore, 1 [Acre](/source/Acre) = 3.025 bigha and 1 [Hectare](/source/Hectare) = 7.475 bigha in West Bengal.

## Uses in Bangladesh

Bigha is a traditional unit of land in entire [Bangladesh](/source/Bangladesh), with land purchases still being undertaken in this unit. One bigha is equal to 20 Katha (14,400 square feet or 1,600 square yard) as standardized in pre-partition [Bengal](/source/Bengal) during the British rule. In other words, 3 bigha are just 0.5 [Katha](/source/Katha_(unit)) or 360 sq ft short of 1 [acre](/source/Acre). (One Acre = 4,840 sq yd or 43,560 sq ft or 4,047 sq m).

### Measurements of area

- 1 [Katha](/source/Katha_(unit)) (কাঠা) = 720 sq ft (80 sq yd or 66.89 sq m)
- 1 Bigha = 14,400 sq ft (1,337.8 sq m or 1,600 sq yd)
- 1 [Acre](/source/Acre) (একর) = 3.025 bigha (বিঘা) = 60.5 Katha (কাঠা)
- 1 [Hectare](/source/Hectare) = 7.475 bigha = 149.5 Katha

## Use in Nepal

Main article: [Nepalese customary units of measurement](/source/Nepalese_customary_units_of_measurement)

A Bigha is a [customary unit of measurement](/source/Nepalese_customary_units_of_measurement) in [Nepal](/source/Nepal), equal to about 6,773 square meters. Officially, most measurement of lands use units of either Bigha (in Terai region) or Ropani (Nepali: रोपनी) (in Hilly regions). Metric system ([SI unit of square metre](/source/International_System_of_Units)) is very seldom used officially in measuring area of land.

Measurement of area in terms of bigha

- 1 Bigha (बिघा)= 20 Katha (कठ्ठा) (about 6,772.63 m2 or 72900 sq.ft.)
- 1 [Katha](/source/Katha_(unit)) (कठ्ठा) = 20 Dhur (धुर) (about 338.63 m2 or 3,645 sq.ft.)
- 1 Dhur (धुर) = 16.93 m2 or 182.25 sq.ft.
- 1 Kanwa (कनवा) = 1/16 Dhur (धुर)
- 1 Kanaee (कनई) = 1/16 Kanwa (कनवा)

[Note: Kanwa is largely obsolete and is used only when tiny lands are very precious].

- 1 Bigha = 13.31 Ropani (रोपनी)
- 1 Ropani = 16 aana (आना) (about 508.72 m2 or 5476 sq. ft.)
- 1 aana = 4 paisa (पैसा) (about 31.80 m2 or 342.25 sq.ft.)
- 1 paisa = 4 daam (दाम) (7.95 m2)
**1 Bigha = 6,772.63 m2**- 1 Bigha = 0.677263 hectare = 1.6735 acre
- 1 Hectare = 19.6565 Ropani

## In popular culture

The classic Hindi movie *[Do Bigha Zamin](/source/Do_Bigha_Zamin)* ("Two bighas of land", 1953) by [Bimal Roy](/source/Bimal_Roy) portrayed the struggle of a poor peasant with very little landholding.

## See also

- [Doab](/source/Doab)
- [Jagir](/source/Jagir)
- [Khadir and Bangar](/source/Khadir_and_Bangar)
- [Barani, Nahri, Chahi, Taal](/source/Khadir_and_Bangar#Bangar_areas_and_subtypes)
- [Banjar, Jungle, Abadi, Shamlat, Gair Mumkin](/source/Khadir_and_Bangar#Related_terms)
- [Measurement of land in Punjab](/source/Measurement_of_land_in_Punjab)
- [Patwari](/source/Patwari)
- [Zaildar](/source/Zaildar)
- [Zamindar](/source/Zamindar)

## References

1. ["Units of measurements"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180418162328/http://jamabandi.nic.in/Land%20Records/Units.aspx). *Jamabandi, Government of Haryana*. HALRIS. Archived from [the original](http://jamabandi.nic.in/Land%20Records/Units.aspx) on 2018-04-18. Retrieved 2025-10-02.

1. ["बीघा क्या है? वर्ग मीटर, एकड़ और हेक्टेयर में कैसे कन्वर्ट करें ?"](https://www.kotak.com/hi/stories-in-focus/loans/home-loan/bigha-all-about-land-area-measurement-unit.html). *Kotak Mahindra*. Retrieved 28 July 2025.

1. ["Land System Conversion Table - North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd."](https://www.nedfi.com/node/193). *www.nedfi.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190404190357/https://www.nedfi.com/node/193) 2019-04-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-04-04.

1. ["Home - Revenue & Disaster Management - Government Of Assam, India"](https://landrevenue.assam.gov.in/). *landrevenue.assam.gov.in*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20171210224350/http://landrevenue.assam.gov.in/) 2017-12-10 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-04-15.

1. ["A village that symbolises Bihar"](http://www.rediff.com/election/2005/feb/11spec2.htm). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160801113820/http://www.rediff.com/election/2005/feb/11spec2.htm) 2016-08-01 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2016-07-18.

1. ["three decimal land (1,306 square feet)"](http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/upper-caste-poor-in-bihar-to-get-land/). 15 December 2015. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160829044930/http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/upper-caste-poor-in-bihar-to-get-land/) 29 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 July 2016.

1. ["sq feet decimal"](http://www.isid.ac.in/~epu/acegd2015/papers/HemanshuKumar.pdf). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20161004002612/http://www.isid.ac.in/~epu/acegd2015/papers/HemanshuKumar.pdf) 2016-10-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2016-07-22.

1. ["25,679 Mahadalit Landless Families to Get Plots in Bihar"](https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/25-679-mahadalit-landless-families-to-get-plots-in-bihar-587232). *NDTV.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190404190346/https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/25-679-mahadalit-landless-families-to-get-plots-in-bihar-587232) 2019-04-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-04-04.

1. ["bigha"](https://www.sizes.com/units/bigha.htm). *www.sizes.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190404190349/https://www.sizes.com/units/bigha.htm) 2019-04-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-04-04.

## Sources

- [Area conversion](https://web.archive.org/web/20060427153814/http://www.royalreality.com/areaconversion.asp), royalreality.com (archived 27 April 2006)
- [Land glossary](https://web.archive.org/web/20110629180401/http://etawah.nic.in/bhulekh/land_glossary.htm), Bhulekh – etawah.nic.in (archived 29 June 2011)
- [Land measurement in India](http://www.landzone.in/land_measurement_in_india.php) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190628104051/http://www.landzone.in/land_measurement_in_india.php) 2019-06-28 at the Wayback Machine, landzone.in
- [Bhulekh](http://bhulekh.uk.gov.in/), uk.gov.in

## External links

- [Bigha](http://www.sizes.com/units/bigha.htm) at Sizes.com

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bigha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigha) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigha?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.