The 1 katha = sq ft answer depends on the region: 1 katha (कट्ठा) is 720 sq ft in West Bengal, Kolkata and Ranchi, 1,361.25 sq ft in Patna and Arrah in Bihar, 2,880 sq ft in Assam's Brahmaputra valley and 600 sq ft in Madhya Pradesh. In north Bihar it is larger still, up to 3,267 sq ft in Bettiah.
Katha in West Bengal: one fixed size
West Bengal is the simple case. Its units are uniform across the state, in Kolkata and in villages alike:
- 1 katha = 16 chatak = 720 sq ft, so 1 chatak = 45 sq ft.
- 20 katha = 1 bigha = 14,400 sq ft.
- 1 katha is about 1.65 decimal.
Ranchi in Jharkhand and the Barak valley of Assam use the same 720 sq ft katha.
Katha in Bihar: changes by district
Bihar always counts 20 dhur to a katha and 20 katha to a bigha. What changes is the size of the katha. The values below are commonly used local figures, not official notifications, and values for many districts such as Gaya, Bhagalpur and Darbhanga are not well documented.
| Area | 1 dhur | 1 katha | 1 bigha |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patna and Arrah | 68.0625 sq ft | 1,361.25 sq ft | 27,225 sq ft |
| Chhapra (Saran) | 87.12 sq ft | 1,742.4 sq ft | 34,848 sq ft |
| Hajipur and Muzaffarpur | 95.0625 sq ft | 1,901.25 sq ft | 38,025 sq ft |
| Bettiah (West Champaran) | 163.35 sq ft | 3,267 sq ft | 65,340 sq ft |
| Siwan | 76 sq ft | 1,520 sq ft | 30,400 sq ft |
Palamu in Jharkhand is reported to use a katha close to the Chhapra one, about 1,742.4 sq ft. Since the katha shifts so much, Bihar records keep area in acre and decimal. The decimal is a fixed 435.6 sq ft and is the safest unit for comparing deeds from different districts.
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: two kathas
In the Brahmaputra valley, which is most of Assam, 1 katha is 2,880 sq ft and 5 katha make a bigha of 14,400 sq ft. A katha there splits into 20 lessa of 144 sq ft. In the Barak valley (Cachar), the katha is the smaller 720 sq ft one.
How to convert katha to square feet
Square feet = katha × (square feet in your local katha)
Worked example: a 1.5 katha plot. In Kolkata it is 1.5 × 720 = 1,080 sq ft. In Patna it is 1.5 × 1,361.25 = 2,041.875 sq ft. Same katha count, almost twice the land in Patna.
With dhur: 3 katha 10 dhur in Patna is 3.5 katha, which is 4,764.375 sq ft.
Katha to square feet table by region
| Katha | Square feet West Bengal, Ranchi | Square feet Bihar (Patna, Arrah) | Square feet Assam (Brahmaputra valley) | Square feet Madhya Pradesh | Square feet Chhapra, Palamu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 720 | 1,361.25 | 2,880 | 600 | 1,742.4 |
| 2 | 1,440 | 2,722.5 | 5,760 | 1,200 | 3,484.8 |
| 3 | 2,160 | 4,083.75 | 8,640 | 1,800 | 5,227.2 |
| 4 | 2,880 | 5,445 | 11,520 | 2,400 | 6,969.6 |
| 5 | 3,600 | 6,806.25 | 14,400 | 3,000 | 8,712 |
| 6 | 4,320 | 8,167.5 | 17,280 | 3,600 | 10,454.4 |
| 8 | 5,760 | 10,890 | 23,040 | 4,800 | 13,939.2 |
| 10 | 7,200 | 13,612.5 | 28,800 | 6,000 | 17,424 |
| 15 | 10,800 | 20,418.75 | 43,200 | 9,000 | 26,136 |
| 20 | 14,400 | 27,225 | 57,600 | 12,000 | 34,848 |
| 25 | 18,000 | 34,031.25 | 72,000 | 15,000 | 43,560 |
| 40 | 28,800 | 54,450 | 1,15,200 | 24,000 | 69,696 |
| 50 | 36,000 | 68,062.5 | 1,44,000 | 30,000 | 87,120 |
| 100 | 72,000 | 1,36,125 | 2,88,000 | 60,000 | 1,74,240 |
Regional columns use the most commonly used size in each area. Confirm your local size with the revenue office.
Tips
- In parts of eastern UP, katha is sometimes used as a local name for a biswa sized parcel. This comes from limited sources, so confirm it locally.
- Write the area in both katha and decimal (or square feet) on any agreement.
- Check with the circle office, amin or the official land record before a sale or partition.
Questions people ask
1 katha = sq ft in Bihar?
It depends on the district. In Patna and Arrah, 1 katha is 1,361.25 sq ft. In Chhapra it is 1,742.4 sq ft, in Hajipur and Muzaffarpur 1,901.25 sq ft and in Bettiah 3,267 sq ft.
1 kattha in square feet in West Bengal?
1 kattha in West Bengal is 720 square feet. It is the same in Kolkata and the rest of the state, and 20 katha make 1 bigha of 14,400 sq ft.
Ek kattha mein kitna square feet hota hai?
In West Bengal and Ranchi, 1 kattha is 720 sq ft. In Patna it is 1,361.25 sq ft. In Assam (Brahmaputra valley) it is 2,880 sq ft. Ask which katha is meant before you convert.
3 katha = sq ft?
3 katha is 2,160 sq ft in West Bengal and 4,083.75 sq ft in Patna.
1 katha in square feet in Assam?
In most of Assam (Brahmaputra valley), 1 katha is 2,880 square feet. In the Barak valley (Cachar), 1 katha is 720 square feet.
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.