1 bigha in katha is 20 katha in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. In Assam's Brahmaputra valley it is 5 katha. Going the other way, 1 katha is 0.05 bigha where 20 katha make a bigha, and 0.2 bigha in Assam.
The count is fixed, the size is not
Here is the key idea. In Bihar, a bigha always has 20 katha. But the katha itself is a different size in Patna, Chhapra, Hajipur and Bettiah. So the bigha changes too. The count of 20 holds; the square feet do not.
| Where | 1 katha (sq ft) | 1 bigha (sq ft) | Katha in 1 bigha |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Bengal | 720 | 14,400 | 20 |
| Jharkhand (Ranchi) | 720 | 14,400 | 20 |
| Bihar: Patna and Arrah | 1,361.25 | 27,225 | 20 |
| Bihar: Chhapra (Saran) | 1,742.4 | 34,848 | 20 |
| Bihar: Hajipur and Muzaffarpur | 1,901.25 | 38,025 | 20 |
| Bihar: Bettiah (West Champaran) | 3,267 | 65,340 | 20 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 600 | 12,000 | 20 |
| Assam (Brahmaputra valley) | 2,880 | 14,400 | 5 |
All of these are commonly used local values, not government notified ones. Siwan has a commonly quoted katha of 1,520 sq ft; using the Bihar rule of 20 katha, its bigha works out to 30,400 sq ft, but no source in our data confirms that bigha directly.
Size of one bigha by region
| Region | 1 bigha in sq ft | In sq m | In acre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pucca bigha: Uttar Pradesh, central Bihar (Patna, Arrah), east Rajasthan | 27,225 | 2,529.29 | 0.625 |
| Kachha bigha: west Rajasthan; also the Gujarat vigha | 17,424 | 1,618.74 | 0.4 |
| West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand (Ranchi) | 14,400 | 1,337.8 | 0.330579 |
| Madhya Pradesh (most quoted value) | 12,000 | 1,114.84 | 0.275482 |
| Delhi, Haryana and Punjab (old bigha-biswa records) | 9,075 | 843.0951 | 0.208333 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 8,712 | 809.3713 | 0.2 |
| Uttarakhand | 6,804 | 632.1123 | 0.156198 |
| Bihar: Hajipur and Muzaffarpur | 38,025 | 3,532.64 | 0.872934 |
| Bihar: Chhapra (Saran) | 34,848 | 3,237.49 | 0.8 |
| Bihar: Bettiah (West Champaran) | 65,340 | 6,070.28 | 1.5 |
Size of one katha by region
| Region | 1 katha in sq ft | In sq m | In square meter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Bengal, Jharkhand (Ranchi), Assam (Barak valley) | 720 | 66.8902 | 66.8902 |
| Bihar: Patna and Arrah | 1,361.25 | 126.4643 | 126.4643 |
| Assam (Brahmaputra valley) | 2,880 | 267.5608 | 267.5608 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 600 | 55.7418 | 55.7418 |
| Bihar: Chhapra; Jharkhand: Palamu | 1,742.4 | 161.8743 | 161.8743 |
| Bihar: Hajipur and Muzaffarpur | 1,901.25 | 176.6319 | 176.6319 |
| Bihar: Siwan | 1,520 | 141.2126 | 141.2126 |
| Bihar: Bettiah (West Champaran) | 3,267 | 303.5142 | 303.5142 |
Assam is different
Assam's bigha is the same size as Bengal's, 14,400 sq ft. But Assam splits it into only 5 katha, so each Assam katha is 2,880 sq ft, four times a Bengal katha. Below the katha, Assam uses the lessa: 1 katha = 20 lessa, and 1 lessa is 144 sq ft. In the Barak valley (Cachar side), the katha is commonly the smaller 720 sq ft one.
How to convert
- Katha = bigha × 20 (Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, MP)
- Katha = bigha × 5 (Assam, Brahmaputra valley)
Worked example: 2.35 bigha in Patna. 2.35 × 20 = 47 katha. That is 47 whole katha. In square feet: 47 × 1,361.25 = 63,978.75 sq ft.
Katha to bigha: divide by 20 (or by 5 in Assam). 20 katha is 1 bigha; 35 katha is 1.75 bigha in Bihar or Bengal.
Bigha to katha table by region
| Bigha | Katha West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh | Katha Assam (Brahmaputra valley) |
|---|---|---|
| 0.25 | 5 | 1.25 |
| 0.5 | 10 | 2.5 |
| 1 | 20 | 5 |
| 2 | 40 | 10 |
| 3 | 60 | 15 |
| 4 | 80 | 20 |
| 5 | 100 | 25 |
| 10 | 200 | 50 |
| 15 | 300 | 75 |
| 20 | 400 | 100 |
| 25 | 500 | 125 |
| 50 | 1,000 | 250 |
| 100 | 2,000 | 500 |
Regional columns use the most commonly used size in each area. Confirm your local size with the revenue office.
The units below katha
- West Bengal: 1 katha = 16 chatak (45 sq ft each).
- Bihar: 1 katha = 20 dhur. In Patna one dhur is 68.0625 sq ft.
- Assam: 1 katha = 20 lessa.
What about Uttar Pradesh?
UP records use bigha, biswa and biswansi, with 20 biswa to a bigha. In parts of eastern UP, katha is sometimes used as a local name for a biswa sized piece. That idea comes from unofficial sources only, so check with the lekhpal before using it.
For a sale or partition, confirm the local katha with the amin, circle office or revenue office and check the record of rights.
Related: katha to square feet, bigha to square feet and land measurement in Bihar.
Questions people ask
1 bigha me kitna katha hota hai?
1 bigha mein 20 katha hote hain in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. In Assam's Brahmaputra valley, 1 bigha is 5 katha.
1 bigha in katha in Bihar?
Always 20 katha. But the katha size changes by district, from 1,361.25 sq ft in Patna to 3,267 sq ft in Bettiah, as commonly used.
1 bigha in katha in Assam?
5 katha. Assam's katha is 2,880 sq ft, and 5 of them make a 14,400 sq ft bigha.
2 bigha in katha?
2 bigha is 40 katha in Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and MP, or 10 katha in Assam.
1 katha in bigha?
1 katha is 0.05 bigha where 20 katha make a bigha, and 0.2 bigha in Assam.
Local units can differ inside a state. Before a sale, partition or court filing, confirm the unit with your tehsil, circle or revenue office and check the land record. How we check our numbers.