1 katha is 720 sq ft in West Bengal, but the katha (कट्ठा) changes size from place to place: 1,361.25 sq ft in Patna, 2,880 sq ft in most of Assam and 600 sq ft in Madhya Pradesh. Know your region before you convert.
What is a katha?
Katha, also spelt kattha or cottah, is a land unit of eastern India. It is used for house plots and small farm parcels in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam, and it is also quoted in Madhya Pradesh. A katha is always a part of the bigha. In most places 20 katha make 1 bigha, but Assam splits its bigha into only 5 katha.
In Hindi, katha also means a story, as in lok katha. On this page we only mean the land unit.
Size of 1 katha by region
These are the commonly used local values, not values from a government notification.
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 |
| Region | 1 katha in sq ft | In gaj (sq yd) | In decimal |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Bengal, Jharkhand (Ranchi), Assam (Barak valley) | 720 | 80 | 1.6529 |
| Bihar: Patna and Arrah | 1,361.25 | 151.25 | 3.125 |
| Assam (Brahmaputra valley) | 2,880 | 320 | 6.6116 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 600 | 66.67 | 1.3774 |
| Bihar: Chhapra; Jharkhand: Palamu | 1,742.4 | 193.6 | 4 |
| Bihar: Hajipur and Muzaffarpur | 1,901.25 | 211.25 | 4.3647 |
| Bihar: Siwan | 1,520 | 168.89 | 3.4894 |
| Bihar: Bettiah (West Champaran) | 3,267 | 363 | 7.5 |
Bihar shows the widest spread. The bigha there is always 20 katha and the katha is always 20 dhur, but the katha itself is bigger in north Bihar districts such as Saran, Vaishali and West Champaran. Sources differ for Jharkhand too: Ranchi uses 720 sq ft while Palamu, next to Bihar, uses about 1,742 sq ft. See the Bihar, West Bengal and Assam guides.
The katha chain
- West Bengal: 1 bigha = 20 katha, 1 katha = 16 chatak. So 1 katha = 16 x 45 = 720 sq ft, which is also 80 sq yd.
- Bihar (Patna): 1 bigha = 20 katha, 1 katha = 20 dhur. 1 katha = 1,361.25 sq ft, exactly 3.125 decimal.
- Assam: 1 bigha = 5 katha, 1 katha = 20 lessa. 1 katha = 20 x 144 = 2,880 sq ft, four times the Bengal katha.
1 katha koto sotok?
In Bengali, sotok or satak is the same as a decimal, 435.6 sq ft. So 1 West Bengal katha = 1.6529 satak, and 2 katha = 3.3058 satak. Going the other way, 1 satak = 0.605 katha. In Bihar, 1 Patna katha is 3.125 decimal and 1 Chhapra katha is 4 decimal.
Katha in acre and hectare
- 1 acre = 60.5 katha in West Bengal, 32 katha in Patna and 15.125 katha in Assam.
- 1 hectare = 149.5 katha in West Bengal, 79.07 katha in Patna and 37.37 katha in Assam.
- 100 sq yd = 1.25 West Bengal katha. 200 sq yd = 2.5 katha.
Use acre to katha, katha to square feet or katha to decimal for any amount.
How to convert katha
- Pick the katha size for your area from the table.
- Multiply the number of katha by that size to get square feet.
- Divide by the size of the unit you want. Divide by 9 for gaj, by 435.6 for decimal, by 43,560 for acre.
Example: a 3 katha plot in Kolkata is 3 x 720 = 2,160 sq ft, which is 240 gaj or 4.9587 decimal. The same 3 katha in Patna is 4,083.75 sq ft.
Tips for buyers
- Bihar and Jharkhand records (khatiyan, jamabandi) usually show area in acre and decimal. Decimal is fixed at 435.6 sq ft everywhere, so compare deeds in decimal.
- West Bengal records also use acre and decimal (satak). Convert the katha figure and match it with the record.
- For a sale or partition, confirm the local katha with the amin, circle office or revenue office and check the land record.
Questions people ask
Katha kya hota hai?
Katha is a traditional land unit of eastern India, used in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam. It is a part of the bigha. Its size depends on the region.
1 katha in square feet?
In West Bengal and Ranchi, 1 katha is 720 sq ft. In Patna and Arrah it is 1,361.25 sq ft, and in most of Assam it is 2,880 sq ft.
1 हेक्टेयर में कितना कट्ठा होता है?
1 hectare is about 149.5 katha in West Bengal, 79.07 katha in Patna and 37.37 katha in Assam. Check the local katha first.
1 katha koto sotok?
1 West Bengal katha is about 1.6529 sotok (decimal). In Bihar, a Patna katha is 3.125 decimal.
1 acre in katha?
1 acre is 60.5 katha in West Bengal, 32 katha in Patna, 25 katha in Chhapra and 15.125 katha 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.