The units for measuring land in India differ from one state to the other. In Northern India, units such as Bigha, Kattha, Marla, Biswa, Kanal, and others are common, but in Southern India, Ground, Cent, Ankanam, and Guntha units are used. In East Indian states like West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura, notable land measuring units include Dhur, Chatak, Lecha, and Kattha. In western Indian states like Rajasthan and Gujarat, units like Biswa, Bigha, and Biswansi are very popular.
Though the regional measuring system is still in use, standardized units such as Acres, Square Feet, Square Yards (also called Gag), Square Meters, and so on are becoming more widespread throughout India.
In this article, you will learn how bigha is used in different ways across India, as well as how to convert bigha to other units and get answers to some of the most common queries regarding land area measurement units.
What is Bigha?
The bigha (previously known as the beegah) is a traditional unit of land measurement used in India. It is used in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, Rajasthan, and Gujarat but not in the southern states of India. A bigha’s size varies greatly from one location to another. Conversion from Bigha is certainly conceivable; however, there is no English comparable terminology.
Prominence of Bigha
Bigha has been used as a unit of measurement in India for a long time. It is still in use in India, although there are some regional differences or changes in value. Apart from internationally recognized measuring units, there are various regional units in use for land measurement across India. Bigha is one such land measuring unit that is widely used as a benchmark in various Indian states. Bigha’s significance as a land measuring unit may easily be determined by the fact that it is also used in a number of other South Asian countries, including Bangladesh and Nepal.
Many people associate the term Bigha with a myriad of symbolic meanings, the most famous of which is by renowned director Bimal Roy’s classic Do Bigha Zameen, which revolutionized the cinematic landscape. The film was inspired by Rabindranath Tagore’s renowned poem Dui Bigha Jomi. As can be seen, Bigha has been synonymous with land and its measurement throughout the years, which has benefited its widespread use in the Indian real estate market, notably for land sale and acquisition in rural and semi-urban areas.
Use of Bigha Across India
Land sales and purchases (especially agricultural property) using Bigha are still done on an unofficial basis across India. Official land records, on the other hand, record the area in hectares or square meters. The size of Bigha changes depending on where you are in India. The bigha is measured differently in different states and frequently in different places within the same state. It is normally less than one acre (43,560 square feet or 4,047 square meters) but can be as large as three acres (1.2 hectares).
- A bigha in Assam is 14,400 square feet (1,340 m2) and is split into five Katha. Each Katha is made up of 20 Lessa, each of which is 144 square feet (13.4 m2) in size. As a result, each Katha is 2,880 square feet (268 m2) in size, however, this varies from region to region in Assam.
- The size of a bigha varies by different areas in Bihar. One bigha is equal to 20 Katha at Patna, the capital. 1 Katha is about 1,361 square feet (126.4 m2). Hence, one bigha is equal to 27,220 square feet.
- One bigha equals 6,804 square feet in Uttarakhand.
- Five bigha equals one acre (43,560 square feet) in Himachal Pradesh. Hence, in Himachal Pradesh, one bigha equals 8712 square feet.
- One Katha is equal to 600 Bigha to square feet in Madhya Pradesh. And since, one bigha is made up of 20 Kathas, one bigha equals 12,000 square feet in Madhya Pradesh.
- One bigha equals 17,427 square feet in Gujarat.
- One Pucca Bigha equals 27,225 square feet, and one Kuchha Bigha equals 1,618.7 square meters (17,424 sq ft) in Rajasthan.
- Under the British colonial administration in West Bengal, the Bigha was standardised at 1600 yd2 (0.1338 hectares or 0.3306 acres). A bigha is thus 1333 m2 (14348.29 square feet) in metric units.
- One bigha in Uttar Pradeshmight represents different things to various people in various parts of the state. In the state’s western parts, one bigha is either five biswas or 6.75 biswa (one biswa is 125 square meters (1,350 square feet). 1 bigha is split into 20 biswas in the rest of Uttar Pradesh. Each biswa is 125 m2 (154.32 yd2), making one Bigha equal to 0.25 hectare (or 2500 m2 or 3086.4 yd2 or 26909 ft2).
- In Uttarakhand, one Bigha is split into 20 Biswas or 12 Nali or 6,804 square feet.
- One bigha equals 27,225 square feetin Haryana.
- One bigha equals 9,070 square feetin Punjab.
Pucca vs. Kuchha Bigha: What’s The Difference?
You may have noted in the content above that there are two types of bigha in Rajasthan: pucca (ripe) and kuchha (crude). What exactly is the distinction between the two? Not only in Rajasthan, but also in areas of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, the two units are in use. While the pucca or pakka bigha was more generally used and on the other hand, landlords often used the Kucha bigha when dealing with their tenants. Early landlords ‘standardised’ both measures, yet they differ from location to location.
Common Queries About Converting Bighas To Other Units
- In 1 acre, how many Bighas are there?
In practice, Bigha measurement varies from state to state. In Himachal Pradesh, for example, 1 acre equals 5 bighas, but in Punjab and Haryana, 1 acre equals 4 bighas. Depending on the state, a single acre might be anywhere from 4-6 bighas or you can convert bigha to an acre.
- How many bighas are there in a hectare?
One hectare equals 3.953686105 bigha or around 4 bighas, therefore two-hectare equals 8 bigha and five hectares equals 20 bighas.
- In one bigha, how many square feet are there?
A bigha is around 27,000 square feet.
- In a bigha, how many square yards are there?
A bigha is 2,990 square yards.
- In a bigha, how many square meters are there?
A bigha is 2,500 square meters.
- How many marlas are there in a bigha?
A bigha is equal to 0.46 marla.
- How much kanal are there in a bigha?
4.94 kanal equals one bigha.
- How many biswa are there in a bigha?
0.01 biswa equals one bigha.
- How many grounds are there in a bigha?
A bigha is equal to 1.04 grounds of land.
- How many aankadam are there in a bigha?
34.73 aankadam equals one bigha.
- How many rood are there in a bigha?
A bigha is equal to 0.23 rood.
- How many chatak are there in a bigha?
5.56 chatak equals one bigha.
- How many kottah are there in a bigha?
37.38 kottah equals one bigha.
- How many cents are there in a bigha?
A bigha is equal to 61.78 cents.
- How many perch are there in a bigha?
A bigha is equal to 9.18 perch.
- How many guntha are there in a bigha?
2.30 guntha equals one bigha.
Why Does Bigha Differ Throughout States?
The standard land measuring units were created by the French in 1778 for worldwide use. Prior to this, the majority of land measurements were done using local units. Native populations of numerous Indian states and areas still choose to conduct land transactions using conventional and time-tested land measurement and terminology. They also rely on their prior knowledge of Bigha, despite the fact that their values may differ significantly from those of numerous other Indian states. The significant variances in Bigha value or measurement between Indian states are due to this.
India’s Other Land Measuring Units
Among all other nations, India has a large population and the greatest geographic diversity. As a result, many regional units have been established. Among the most prevalent and standard are:
Square Feet – This unit is deemed standard for measuring any commercial or residential property under the RERA Act. A parcel of land with a length and width of one foot is said to have a one square foot area. Converting Square Feet to Kanal is required when selling small tracts of property to a regional broker in North India.
Square Metre – The square meter is another frequent land measurement unit, although it should be avoided when merely measuring length or a single way direction. A square meter is defined as a piece of land with a length and width of one meter.
Square Yards – This unit is used in some regions of India but is extensively used worldwide. It’s bigger than square feet. 1 Square Yard equals the length and width of a plot measuring 1 yard each.
Acre – This is the oldest land measuring unit, dating back to the traditional era when it was used to measure huge agricultural fields. It is used in both the imperial and US systems of measurement. 43560 square feet equals one acre.
Hectare – The metric system’s most frequent non-SI unit for measuring vast tracts of land is the hectare. In 1795, Ares and Hectares were added to the metric system. However, after the system’s simplification in 1960, it was no longer considered as a significant land measuring unit by the international system of units. As a result, every previous parcel of property measured in Ares must be transformed. The conversion factor from 1 Ares to Kanal is 0.197684.
Guntha – In Northern India, the guntha (also known as gunta) is often used to measure plots. In India, one acre is made up of 40 gunthas. In addition, 1 guntha is 1,089 square feet.
Ground– In India, the ground is a unit of measurement. 1 Ground equals 203 square metres. The unit is then more widely employed in the real estate industry.
Biswa– Biswa is a unit that does not have a consistent size across the country. 1 biswa is approximately 1,350 square feet. One bigha in Uttar Pradesh is equivalent to ten kaccha biswa and ten pucca biswa.
Kanal – Kanal is used mostly in Northern India. 1 kanal is 1/8 acre, or 4,500 square feet or 605 square yards.
Mukhya Mantri 1 Bigha Scheme
The government of Himachal Pradesh has established the Mukhya Mantri 1 Bigha Scheme, which would provide employment to roughly 1.5 lakh rural women under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). A woman or her family who owns up to one bigha of land can plant a backyard kitchen garden under the programme. The approach is intended to mitigate the financial implications caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.
The 1 Bigha Scheme would assist rural women in earning ₹1 lakh annually, which includes ₹198 daily pay. This pay will be deposited to their Aadhaar-linked bank account every 15 days. Gram Rozgar Sewaks, the government’s task force, will keep track of the scheme’s development. One Bigha in Himachal Pradesh is 752.51 square meters.
FAQs:
What is Bigha?
In India’s northern and eastern regions, the bigha is a customary land measuring unit. Because it is not a standard unit, the value varies from state to state. In general, Indian farmers use it to measure agricultural areas for purchase or sale.
Is the Bigha unit in use in South India?
In southern India, bigha is not used. Guntha, Kuncham, Ground, Ankanam, and Cent are more commonly used in this part of the nation.
How many bighas are there in a hectare?
Four bighas are equivalent to one hectare.
How many acres is one Bigha in Uttar Pradesh?
1 Bigha in UP equals 0.625 Acre.
In which states are the units Kaccha Bigha and Pucca Bigha used?
Kaccha Bigha and Pucca Bigha are used in Rajasthan, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Uttarakhand, and Bihar.
