What is Bigha? Converting to Square Feet, Acres, Hectares

03 APRIL, 2024

A popular term in rural areas and certain parts of Asia, Bigha as a unit of land measurement is etched into property deeds and debated in real estate offices. Yet its precise meaning and measurement remain hard to catch. Unlike the standardised metrics like square feet or hectares, the bigha is a chameleon, shifting its size from state to state and sometimes even district to district.

To simplify it all for you, here we’ll discuss in detail what is bigha, its conversions to familiar units like square feet, acres, and hectares, and more.

What is Bigha?

Bigha is a unit for measuring land in Indian states, and countries like Nepal and Bangladesh, among others. Popular in states where farming is common, it helps measure large agricultural land tracts as well as residential land. The exact measurement of bigha differs from state to state. For instance, in Bihar, it equals 27,220 sq. ft. and in Assam, it is 14,400 sq. ft., which is nearly half.

Bigha has several subunits in different places; some common ones are:

Katha
Biswa
Nalli

Convert 1 Bigha to Square Feet in Different Indian States

1 cm is equal to 10 mm, and 100 cm makes up for 1 m. However, such simple calculations are not the case for the conversion of bigha. As stated, bigha doesn’t have a standard fixed measurement. The following table will help you find the value of bigha in different states of India. Starting from where it is the lowest, this information will help convert 1 bigha to square feet.

Indian State	Value of Bigha (Square Feet)	Subunits
Uttarakhand	6,804 sq. ft.	1 Bigha = 20 Bissas 1 Bigha = 12 Nalli
Himachal Pradesh	8,712 sq. ft.	-
Punjab	9,090 sq. ft.	1 Bigha = 4 Kanals
Madhya Pradesh	12,000 sq. ft.	1 Bigha = 20 Katha
Assam	14,400 sq. ft.	1 Bigha = 5 Katha 1 Katha = 20 Lessa Note: 4 Bighas = Pura
West Bengal	14,400 sq. ft.	-
Gujarat	17,424 sq. ft.	-
Uttar Pradesh	27,000 sq. ft.	1 Bigha = 5 to 20 Biswa
Bihar	27,220 sq. ft.	1 Bigha = 20 Katha 1 Katha = 20 Dhur 1 Dhur = 20 Dhurki
Jharkhand	27,211 sq. ft.	-
Haryana	27,225 sq. ft.	-
Rajasthan	1 pucca bigha = 27,225 sq ft 1 kuchha bigha = 17,424 sq ft	-

1 Bigha in Acres and Hectares

Bigha is common among farmers when measuring plots and negotiating land prices. However, often, when buying and selling, distributing land among heirs, or applying for home loans, you might be required to convert bigha to other units of measurement. Here is a table for the commonly accepted conversion rate of hectare and acre into bigha:

Unit	Bigha
1 Hectare	3.987 Bigha
1 Acre	1.62 Bigha

The reverse calculation will be:

1 Bigha is equal to 0.62 Acre
1 Bigha is equal to 0.25 Hectares

Note: While these are commonly accepted values for conversion in most Indian states, the values might differ for some others. For instance, in Bangladesh, 1 acre of land equals 3 bighas, and in Fiji, 1 acre is equal to 1 bigha.

Summing Up

With an understanding of what is bigha and how it differs from place to place, you can now make more informed decisions when dealing with land measurements. Our tables above will ensure that you refer to the standardised conversions and keep in mind the differences across states in all your land-related discussions.

Stay informed, and always verify measurements based on local usage for precise calculations!