India is a land of diversities. So, given the diverse cultures, languages, and religions, how can there be a single standard measurement unit for the country? The units of land measurements in India are different in different parts of the country. Despite standard land measurement units used globally, some countries, including India, also use specific regional units, which have been in practice for a long.
Land measurements are an integral part of real estate transactions, as the cost heavily depends on the same. Whether an experienced real estate professional or a first-time property buyer, you must know how to measure the land area in the regional units used by its locals to strike a fair deal. Understanding these local Land Measurements in India and their appropriate conversions to the global standard Land Measurement units such as Square Feet, Square yards, Square meters, Acres, and hectares are essential. In this article, the local units used for land measurements in India are classified based on India’s East, West, North, South, and Central regions.
Global Standard Land Measurements In India
Let’s first discuss the standard land measurement units used across the globe and in various parts of India.
- Square Feet (sq ft)
- Square Yard (sq yd or yd²).
- Square Meter (sq m)
- Acre (ac)
- Hectare (ha)
| Units | Conversion | Details |
| 1 Square Foot | 0.092903 Square Meter | Globally accepted land measurement units. In India RERA Act 2016 has made it mandatory to use Square Feet as a standard unit while buying or selling a property. |
| 1 Square Foot | 0.1111 Square Yard | |
| 1 Square Yard | 9 Square Feet | Square Yards, also known as Gag in North India. |
| 1 Square Yard | 0.836127 Square Meter | |
| 1 Square Meter | 10.7639 Square Feet | Square Meter is generally used for larger parcels. |
| 1 Square Meter | 1.19599 Square Yard | |
| 1 Acre | 43,560 Square Feet | |
| 1 Acre | 4,840 Square Yard | |
| 1 Acre | 4,046.85 Square Meter | |
| 1 Acre | 0.4046 Hectare | |
| 1 Hectare | 1,07,639 Square Feet | |
| 1 Hectare | 11,959 Square Yards | |
| 1 Hectare | 10,000 Square Meters | |
| 1 Hectare | 2.47 Acres | Hectare and acres are generally used for agriculture land measurement. |
Regional Land Measurements in India
Regional Land Measurement Units in North India
Measurements like Biswa, Bigha, Marla, Kanal, Kattha, and others are standard land measurements in North Indian states. While there is still an in-use local measuring unit, global standard units such as Square Feet, Acres, Square Yards, Square Meters, and others are increasingly used in North India.
| Units | Conversion | States | Details |
| 1 Bigha-Pucca | 3025 sq yd | Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, and parts of Uttar Pradesh | 1 Pucca-Bigha is equal to165 ft*165 ft |
| 1 Bigha | 968 sq yd | Parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand | |
| 1 Bigha | 900 sq yd | Parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand | |
| 1 Bigha- Kachha | 1008.33sq yd | Parts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh | Kachha Bigha is one-third of Pucca Bigha |
| 1 Biswa – Pucca | 151.25 sq yd | Northern parts of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana | 1 Biswa is equal to 1/20 Bigha (Pucca) |
| 1 Biswa | 48.4 sq yd | Parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand | 1 Biswa is equal to 1/20 Bigha |
| 1 Biswa | 45 sq yd | Parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand | 1 Biswa is equal to 1/20 Bigha |
| 1 Biswa (Kaccha) | 50.417 sq yd | Parts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh | 1 Biswa is equal to 1/20 Bigha (Kaccha) |
| 1 Biswansi | 1/20 Biswa | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand | 1 Biswa has 20 Biswansis |
| 1 Killa | 4840 sq yd | Parts of Haryana and Punjab | 1 Killa= 1 Acre |
| 1 Ghumaon | 4840 sq yd | Parts of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab | 1 Ghumaon = 1 Acre |
| 1 Kanal | 5445 sq ft. 8 Kanals is 1 Acre | Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir | 1 Acre = 8 Kanal |
Bigha
It is mainly used to measure form land. It does not have any standard value assigned to it. The value of a Bigha is different for the different areas. Generally, One acre of land is equivalent to 4-6 bighas.
Here is the State-wise value of Bigha-
| State | 1 Bigha in sqft |
| Assam | 14,400 |
| Bihar | 27,220 |
| Gujarat | 17,424 |
| Haryana | 27,225 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 8,712 |
| Jharkhand | 27,211 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 12,000 |
| Punjab | 9,070 |
| Rajasthan | 27,255 |
| UP | 27,000 |
| Uttarakhand | 6,804 |
| West Bengal | 14,400 |
Bigha is a unit for land measurement that is only popular in North India. Other regions do not have bigha as a Land Measurement Unit.
Biswa
Similar to Bigha, Biswa does not have a fixed value. It is the 20th part of the Bigha and varies from one region to the other. Biswa is used to measure the short and medium agricultural land areas in the Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal regions.
| State | 1 Bigha in sqft |
| Assam | 720 |
| Bihar | 1361 |
| Gujarat | 871.2 |
| Haryana | 1361.25 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 435.6 |
| Jharkhand | 1360.55 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 600 |
| Punjab | 453.5 |
| Rajasthan | 1362.75 |
| UP | 1350 |
| Uttarakhand | 340.2 |
| West Bengal | 720 |
Land Measurement Units in South India
Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andra Pradesh, and Karnataka have different measurement systems. Ground, Cent, Ankanam, and Guntha are some of the land measurement units used in the Southern states of India, along with globally accepted measurement systems.
Units used in South India:-
| Units | Conversion | States | Details |
| 1 Ankanam | 72 sqft | Parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka | 1Acre=605 Ankanams |
| 1 Cent | 435.6 sq ft | Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka | 1 Acre is equal to 100 cents |
| 1 Ground | 2400 sq ft | Parts of Tamil Nadu | |
| 1 Guntha (33ft X 33ft) | 1089 sq ft | Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka | 40 Gunthas = 1 Acre |
| 1 Kuncham | 484 sq yd | Andhra Pradesh | 1 Kuncham = 10 cents |
Land Measurement Units in Eastern India
Both Dhur and Kattha denote different sizes, depending upon the State. While in Bihar, Dhur is over 68 sq ft, it is merely 3.6 sq ft in Tripura. In addition to Bihar and Tripura, Dhur is also commonly used in Jharkhand. On the other hand, Katha is used majorly in West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam. Also, it is used in certain parts of Bihar, alongside Dhur. While the unit varies from State to State, it usually falls in the range of 600-2,800 sq ft.
| Units | States used in | Conversion |
| 1 Chatak | West Bengal | 180 sq ft |
| 1 Decimal | West Bengal | 48.4 sq yd, 1Acre=100 decimals |
| 1 Dhur | Bihar and Jharkhand | 68.0625 sq ft |
| 1 Dhur | Tripura | 3.6 sq ft |
| 1 Kattha | Assam | 2880 sq ft, 1 Bigha (Assam) has 5 Katthas |
| 1 Kattha | Bengal | 720 sq ft, 1 Bigha (Bengal) has 20 Katthas |
| 1 Kattha | Bihar | 1361.25 sq ft, 1 Bigha (Bihar) has 20 Katthas |
| 1 Lecha | Assam | 144 sq ft, 20 Lechas is 1 Kattha |
Land Measurement Units in Western India
Bigha, Biswa, and Biswansi are extremely common in Western states of India, such as Rajasthan and Gujarat. Based on the Biswa or the Bhiga value, every state has a different value for Biswansi. While there is still use of the local measurement system, global standard units such as Square Feet, Acres and Square Yards, Square Metres, etc., are increasingly used in Western India.
Popular units in West India:-
| Units | States | Conversion | Details |
| 1 Bigha | Bihar and parts of Rajasthan | Pucca 3025 sq yd | 1 Bigha is equal to 165 ft X 165 ft |
| 1 Bigha | Gujarat and parts of Rajasthan | 1936 sq yd | 1 Bigha is equal to 132 ft X 132 ft |
| 1 Biswa | Northern parts of Rajasthan | Pucca 151.25 sq yd | 1 Biswa = 1/20 Bigha |
| 1 Biswa | Lower parts of Rajasthan | 96.8 sq yd | 1 Biswa = 1/20 Bigha |
| 1 Biswansi | Rajasthan | 1/20 Biswa |
Land measurement units used in Central India
| Units | States used in | Conversion |
| 1 Bigha | Parts of Madhya Pradesh | 1333.33 sq yd |
| 1 Kattha | Madhya Pradesh | 600 sq ft, 1 Bigha (MP) has 20 Kathas |
Length Measurement Conversion Table
| Length in Unit | Conversion Factor |
| 1 Centimeter (cm) | 10 mm, 0.01 m |
| 1 Chain (ch) | 66 ft, 22 yd (gaj), 100 links (kadi), 4 rods |
| 1 Foot (ft) | 12 inches, 30.48 cm |
| 1 Furlong | 660 ft, 220 yd, 40 rods, 10 chains |
| 1 Gaj | 1 yd, 0.91444 m, 3 ft, 36 in |
| 1 Gattha | 5.5 hath, 2.75 yd, 8.25 ft, 99 in |
| 1 Hath | 0.5 yd, 18 in, 1.5 ft |
| 1 Inch (in) | 2.54 cm, 0.0833 ft |
| 1 Jarib (Shahjahani) | 165 ft |
| 1 Jarib (Gantari) | 132 ft |
| 1 Karam | 66 in, 5.5 ft |
| 1 Kilometer (km) | 1000m, 3280.84 ft |
| 1 Meter (m) | 100 cm, 39.3701 in, 3.28084 ft |
| 1 Mile (mi) | 1.60934 km, 5280 ft |
| 1 Millimeter (mm) | 0.1 cm, 0.001m |
| 1 Perch/ Rod/Pole | 16.5 sqft, 5.5 yd |
| 1 Yard (yd) | 1 Gaj, 3 ft, 36 in, 0.91444 m |
Difference between a Plot and a Ground
Knowing the difference between a plot and a ground is also essential. While a plot refers to a piece of land, irrespective of its size, a ground is a land area measuring 2,400 sq ft.
Finding the area of your property
A land is bifurcated into residential plots after making the necessary provision for roads, parks, schools, hospitals, markets, and other amenities. The number and size of the plot can be derived from the layout sketch. In the case of a resale property, you can find the property’s details, including its area, in the Sale Deed.
In the case of a residential property, the area is usually given in the form of Square Feet (sq ft). However, in the case of agricultural lands, the property area is mentioned in terms of Acres or Hectares. To measure the land size, you need to multiply the available land’s length and width.
How are plots and built-up spaces measured?
Knowing the difference between a Plot and a built-up property such as Flats or Apartments are also crucial because these spaces are measured in different units. Plots are measured based on the regional units, while Apartments are usually measured in sq. ft. units as per the RERA. As Apartments have built-up walls that need to be measured, several areas are accounted for when measuring a built-up space.
Super Area: Super area is the total area of land and includes everything. This measurement indicates the built-up area’s size and consists of the area covered by stairs, corridors, or lifts. It is usually 25% more than the built-up area.
Super built-up area = Built-up area + common areas (stairs, lobbies, lift, pool, etc)
Built-up Area: The total area of your flat or apartment, including the carpet area. This area is wall to wall and includes areas such as balconies, ducts, the thickness of a wall, etc. This area is usually 10% more than the carpet area.
Built-up area = Carpet area + area of walls+area of balcony
Carpet Area: People often wish to know what carpet area means. A carpet area means an area that can be covered by carpet or net usable area is called carpet area. The carpet area is the distance between the inner walls. Common areas such as lift, lobby, etc., are not included under the carpet area.
Carpet area = Area of bedroom + living room + balconies + toilets – the thickness of the inner walls
Area Converter Tool Integrated with Land Measurement Formula
The figures mentioned above come in handy while converting different units of measurements. However, it can take a while to make the calculations. Besides, there is a chance of miscalculation when you use the land measurement formula manually. That is why it is recommended to use area converter tools available online. Many websites provide this free land measurement tool to help you make conversions easily and quickly.
We are sure this guide has given you a clear idea about measuring land area using the standard measurement units and various land measurement units used in different parts of India. We hope this information helps you if you plan to buy or sell a property.
Proper knowledge about these units can help to set appropriate budgets, select the right property and ensure a fair deal.
FAQs
Q: What are the standard land measurements in India?
A: Square Feet, Square Yard, Square Meter, Acre, and Hectare, are the standard Land Measurements In India.
Q: Which are the popular regional land measurements in India?
A: Bigha, Biswa, Kattha, Leccha, Guntha, Kunchum, Killa, Ghumaon, Ankanam, Sarsahi, etc
Q: Does an acre on hilly terrain contain more land than an acre on flat land?
A: No, An acre of land measures the same on hilly terrain and a flat surface. But the surface area may differ for both, that is the surface area on hilly terrain is more than that of a flat surface. Hence there will be better chances of cultivation on an acre of hilly terrain than a flat land.