Biswa: Size of 1 Biswa and Biswa in an Acre

1 biswa is one twentieth of a bigha, so its size depends on the local bigha. In Uttar Pradesh and east Rajasthan, 1 biswa = 1,361.25 sq ft. In Delhi and Haryana old records it is 453.75 sq ft, and in Uttarakhand only 340.2 sq ft.

What is a biswa?

Biswa (बिस्वा, also bissa) is the middle unit of the bigha and biswa system of north India. Twenty biswa make 1 bigha. One biswa is again split into 20 biswansi (also called biswani). So the chain is:

• 1 bigha = 20 biswa
• 1 biswa = 20 biswansi
• 1 bigha = 400 biswansi

This system is used in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and in the older revenue records of Delhi and Haryana. Bihar, Bengal and Assam split the bigha into katha instead.

Size of 1 biswa by region

These are commonly used values. In Delhi they follow the old settlement figure of 4.8 bigha per acre; elsewhere they come from local practice.

Size of one biswa by region

A few points stand out. The Himachal biswa is exactly 435.6 sq ft, the same as a cent or decimal. The Delhi biswa gives 96 biswa per acre, which is why old Delhi records say 4 bigha 16 biswa = 1 acre. In Uttar Pradesh, the biswa stays roughly the same while the number of biswa in a local kachha bigha can change, so always ask how many biswa your bigha has.

1 ekad mein kitne biswa?

1 acre has 32 biswa in Uttar Pradesh and east Rajasthan, 50 biswa in west Rajasthan, 96 biswa in Delhi and Haryana old records, 100 biswa in Himachal Pradesh and about 128.04 biswa in Uttarakhand.

Biswa to bigha and other units

• Biswa to bigha: divide by 20 in every region. 10 biswa = 0.5 bigha.
• Pucca biswa = 151.25 gaj = 3.125 decimal.
• Delhi biswa = about 50.42 gaj.
• 1 hectare = 79.07 pucca biswa.

Biswansi sizes follow from the biswa: 68.0625 sq ft (pucca), 43.56 sq ft (west Rajasthan), 22.6875 sq ft (Delhi) and 21.78 sq ft (Himachal).

Biswa and plot sizes

In towns of Uttar Pradesh, small plots are often sold by the biswa. A pucca biswa of 1,361.25 sq ft is about the size of a plot of 33 ft by 41.25 ft. Half a biswa is 680.625 sq ft, roughly a 25 ft by 27.2 ft plot. In Himachal, where a biswa is one cent, it is a much smaller piece: 435.6 sq ft, about 20 ft by 21.78 ft.

When you compare offers, convert each one to square feet first. A plot sold as 2 biswa on the pucca measure of central Uttar Pradesh is 2,722.5 sq ft. A plot sold as 2 biswa in a village that follows the Delhi measure is 907.5 sq ft. The word is the same, but one plot is three times the other.

How to convert biswa

1. Find your local biswa size from the table.
2. Multiply the biswa count by that size to get square feet.
3. Divide by the target unit. Divide by 10.7639 for square metre or by 43,560 for acre.

Example: a plot of 3 biswa in Lucknow on the pucca measure is 3 x 1,361.25 = 4,083.75 sq ft. That is 453.75 gaj or 379.39 sq m. The same 3 biswa in Shimla would be only 1,306.8 sq ft.

A record of 2 bigha 7 biswa (pucca) is 2 x 20 + 7 = 47 biswa, which is 63,978.75 sq ft or 1.4688 acre.

Use biswa to square feet, biswa to gaj or hectare to biswa. State guides: Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand.

Practical tips

• UP Bhulekh khatauni shows area in hectares. Convert the hectare figure and compare it with the biswa figure you were told.
• In Rajasthan, ask whether the bigha is pucca or kachha before you count biswa.
• For a sale, partition or court matter, confirm the local biswa with the lekhpal or patwari and check the land record.