Land Area Converter
Convert between Indian land measurement units — gaj, bigha, kattha, biswa, marla, ground, cent, guntha — and universal units like square feet, acre, and hectare. Covers state-specific variants because bigha size varies dramatically: a UP bigha is 27,225 sqft, but an MP bigha is only 12,000 sqft.
How this calculator works
India uses one of the most diverse sets of land measurement units in the world. Here is a quick reference to the most common:
Universal units
- Square feet (sqft) — used in urban real estate pricing
- Square metres (sqm) — official/legal unit in property documents
- Square yards (sqyd) / Gaj — 1 gaj = 1 square yard = 9 sqft
- Acre — 43,560 sqft (universal, used in agricultural land)
- Hectare — 10,000 sqm ≈ 2.47 acres
Regional units (varies by state)
- Bigha — 27,000 sqft (standard), but UP/Rajasthan/Haryana pucca bigha is 27,225 sqft, MP bigha is 12,000 sqft, Bengal/Assam bigha is 14,400 sqft
- Kattha — 1/20 of a bigha. Bihar kattha = 1,361 sqft, Bengal kattha = 720 sqft, Assam kattha = 2,880 sqft
- Biswa — 1/20 of UP bigha = 1,361 sqft
- Marla — Punjab/Haryana unit, 272.25 sqft
- Kanal — 20 marlas = 5,445 sqft (Punjab, J&K)
- Ground — Tamil Nadu unit, 2,400 sqft
- Cent — Kerala/Tamil Nadu unit, 435.6 sqft. 100 cents = 1 acre.
- Guntha — Maharashtra/Karnataka unit, 1,089 sqft. 40 gunthas = 1 acre.
Worked example
Example 1 — Convert 5 acres to bigha (standard):
- 5 acres = 5 × 43,560 = 217,800 sqft
- 217,800 ÷ 27,000 = 8.07 bigha (standard 1 bigha = 27,000 sqft)
Example 2 — Convert 1000 gaj to square metres:
- 1000 gaj = 1000 sq yard = 9,000 sqft
- 9,000 sqft ÷ 10.7639 = 835.8 sqm
Example 3 — UP bigha vs MP bigha confusion:
- 10 UP bigha = 272,250 sqft ≈ 6.25 acres
- 10 MP bigha = 120,000 sqft ≈ 2.75 acres
- Same "10 bigha" land can be 2.3× larger depending on state! Always clarify which bigha standard applies.
Frequently asked questions
Why does bigha vary so much between states?
Bigha is a historical unit, not an SI unit. Local landlords and rulers set their own bigha definitions centuries ago. When states were reorganized post-Independence, these local definitions were preserved. Today, UP has pucca (27,225 sqft) and kachcha (17,424 sqft) bighas in different districts.
What is the difference between gaj and square yard?
None — they are identical. 1 gaj = 1 square yard = 9 square feet. Gaj is the Hindi/Urdu name; square yard is English. Real estate listings in North India use both interchangeably.
Which unit is used in property registration documents?
Legal documents in India use square metres as the primary unit (SI standard), with square feet as a secondary measurement. Traditional units like bigha or kattha are rarely used in formal deeds except in rural/agricultural contexts.
How many square feet is 1 bigha in Bihar?
Bihar bigha is approximately 27,220 sqft, or 20 katthas (each 1,361 sqft). This matches the UP/Rajasthan pucca bigha standard.
What is a marla?
Marla is a traditional unit used primarily in Punjab, Haryana and parts of Himachal Pradesh. 1 marla = 272.25 sqft. 20 marlas = 1 kanal (5,445 sqft). Residential plots in these states are still sold in marlas.
What is 1 cent in Kerala?
1 cent = 435.6 sqft = 48.4 sqyd. Kerala and Tamil Nadu measure land in cents. 100 cents = 1 acre. A small residential plot might be 5-10 cents; an agricultural plot might be 50-200 cents.
How is guntha different from other units?
Guntha is used in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. 1 guntha = 1,089 sqft = 33 × 33 feet (approximately). 40 gunthas = 1 acre. Farm land in these states is commonly quoted in gunthas and acres.
Are these conversions 100% accurate?
Standard unit conversions (sqft, sqm, acre, hectare) are exact. Traditional unit conversions use the most commonly-accepted definitions, but very local variations exist. For legal transactions, always verify against the specific definition used in your district's revenue records.