Thirteen states, their bigha in square feet, the bigha-per-acre ratio and the traditional definition each figure derives from — with every competing local convention listed rather than averaged away.
This is the reference table. It exists so you can see the whole spread at once rather than one state at a time, because the spread is the point: the smallest bigha here is a quarter the size of the largest, and both are called a bigha.
The table
| State | 1 bigha (sq ft) | Bigha per acre | 1 bigha in acres | Traditional definition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uttarakhand (hills) | 6,806.25 | 6.4 | 0.156 | 756.25 sq yd |
| Himachal Pradesh | 8,712 | 5 | 0.2 | 968 sq yd |
| Madhya Pradesh | 12,000 | 3.63 | 0.275 | 20 katha of 600 sq ft |
| Chhattisgarh | 12,000 | 3.63 | 0.275 | Follows the MP convention |
| West Bengal | 14,400 | 3.025 | 0.331 | 1,600 sq yd = 20 katha |
| Assam | 14,400 | 3.025 | 0.331 | 1,600 sq yd = 5 katha |
| Gujarat | 17,424 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 16 guntha of 1,089 sq ft |
| Punjab | 21,780 | 2 | 0.5 | 4 kanal = 2,420 sq yd |
| Haryana | 21,780 | 2 | 0.5 | 4 kanal = 2,420 sq yd |
| Uttar Pradesh (pucca) | 27,225 | 1.6 | 0.625 | 20 biswa = 3,025 sq yd |
| Bihar | 27,225 | 1.6 | 0.625 | 20 katha = 3,025 sq yd |
| Jharkhand | 27,225 | 1.6 | 0.625 | Follows the Bihar convention |
| Rajasthan (pucca) | 27,225 | 1.6 | 0.625 | 3,025 sq yd |
The interactive version of this table lets you sort by size or alphabetically and load any state straight into the converter, with the local variants expanded under each row.
The variants the main table cannot show
Six of these states run more than one convention at once. Averaging them into a single row would produce a number that is wrong for everybody, so here they are separately.
| State | Variant | Square feet | Per acre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh | Western UP (5 biswa) | 6,806.25 | 6.4 |
| Uttar Pradesh | Kaccha bigha | 9,075 | 4.8 |
| Rajasthan | Kaccha bigha | 17,424 | 2.5 |
| Uttarakhand | Plains (Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar) | 17,424 | 2.5 |
| Gujarat | 20-guntha vigha | 21,780 | 2 |
| Gujarat | Central Gujarat | 16,875 | 2.58 |
| Punjab | Local smaller bigha | 9,072 | 4.8 |
| Haryana | Local smaller bigha | 9,072 | 4.8 |
Read the variants before using the main table
For Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana, the primary figure is one of several in live use. Establish which convention applies to your parcel before converting.Sub-units by state
The sub-unit is frequently the unit a price is actually quoted in, and it varies more than the bigha does.
| Sub-unit | States | Square feet | Per bigha |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biswa | UP, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Haryana | 1,361.25 | 20 (pucca) |
| Katha | Bihar, Jharkhand | 1,361.25 | 20 |
| Katha | West Bengal | 720 | 20 |
| Katha | Assam | 2,880 | 5 |
| Katha | Madhya Pradesh | 600 | 20 |
| Guntha | Gujarat, Maharashtra | 1,089 | 16 or 20 |
| Kanal | Punjab, Haryana, Himachal | 5,445 | 4 |
| Marla | Punjab, Haryana | 272.25 | 80 |
| Lecha | Assam | 144 | 100 |
The three kathas are the clearest illustration of why this matters. A katha means 720 square feet in Kolkata, 2,880 in Guwahati and about 1,361 in Patna — the Assam guide works through that divergence, and the West Bengal guide covers it from the Bengal side.
Universal conversions
These do not vary by state and are worth having to hand as a cross-check.
| From | To | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 acre | square feet | 43,560 |
| 1 acre | square yards | 4,840 |
| 1 acre | square metres | 4,046.86 |
| 1 acre | hectares | 0.4047 |
| 1 hectare | acres | 2.471 |
| 1 hectare | square feet | 107,639 |
| 1 square yard | square feet | 9 |
How to use this table
- Find your state and note the square footage, not just the ratio. The square footage is what you cross-check against.
- Check the variants table. If your state appears there, establish which convention applies before converting anything.
- Check the sub-unit row if the price is quoted per katha, biswa, guntha or marla.
- Confirm against the recorded area before agreeing a price.
For the reasoning behind these figures, see why bigha size varies by state. To run a specific number, use the acre to bigha calculator.