Land measurement in Himachal is done mostly in bigha and biswa. The Himachal bigha is 8,712 sq ft, which is exactly one fifth of an acre, so 5 bigha = 1 acre. One biswa is 435.6 sq ft. Districts that came from Punjab, such as the Kangra area, also use kanal and marla.
Land units used in Himachal Pradesh
| Unit | Where used | Square feet | Square metres | Gaj |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bigha (बीघा) | Most districts | 8,712 | 809.3713 | 968 |
| 1 biswa (बिस्वा) | Most districts | 435.6 | 40.4686 | 48.4 |
| 1 biswansi (बिस्वांसी) | Most districts | 21.78 | 2.0234 | 2.42 |
| 1 kanal (कनाल) | Kangra area and towns | 5,445 | 505.8571 | 605 |
| 1 marla (मरला) | Kangra area and towns | 272.25 | 25.2929 | 30.25 |
These bigha, biswa and biswansi values are commonly used figures that several guides agree on. We did not find a Himachal government page that states the bigha in square feet, so treat them as common practice. Local differences are mentioned for Chamba and Lahaul and Spiti, but we found no figures for them.
Chain of units
- 20 biswansi = 1 biswa
- 20 biswa = 1 bigha = 400 biswansi
- 5 bigha = 1 acre (43,560 sq ft)
- 1 hectare = 2.4711 acre = 12.3553 bigha
- Kangra area: 20 marla = 1 kanal, and 8 kanal = 1 acre
Two handy facts follow. First, 1 Himachal biswa equals exactly 1 cent (435.6 sq ft). Second, 1 Himachal bigha = 1.6 kanal = 32 marla. That makes it easy to compare a bigha record with a kanal record.
The Himachal bigha compared with nearby states
Do not use a bigha chart from another state for Himachal land. The Himachal bigha is:
- about one third of the pucca bigha of Uttar Pradesh (27,225 sq ft): 1 UP bigha = 3.125 Himachal bigha
- a little smaller than the old Haryana and Delhi bigha (9,075 sq ft)
- larger than the Uttarakhand bigha (6,804 sq ft)
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 biswa by region
| Region | 1 biswa in sq ft | In sq m | In square meter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh and east Rajasthan (pucca) | 1,361.25 | 126.4643 | 126.4643 |
| West Rajasthan (kachha) | 871.2 | 80.9371 | 80.9371 |
| Delhi and Haryana (old records) | 453.75 | 42.1548 | 42.1548 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 435.6 | 40.4686 | 40.4686 |
| Uttarakhand | 340.2 | 31.6056 | 31.6056 |
Official records and portal
Himachal land records are on HimBhoomi, run by the Revenue Department of Himachal Pradesh. Jamabandi and khasra entries in most districts give area in bigha and biswa. In the Kangra region, entries are often in kanal and marla. Hectares are used in official statistics. We could not confirm an official district by district list of which system each area follows.
How to read land size in Himachal records
An entry of 3 bigha 4 biswa is read in parts:
- 3 bigha = 3 x 8,712 = 26,136 sq ft
- 4 biswa = 4 x 435.6 = 1,742.4 sq ft
- Total = 27,878.4 sq ft = 0.64 acre = 2,589.9881 square metres
Since 1 biswa is 1 cent, the acre figure is quick to check: 3 bigha 4 biswa = 64 biswa = 0.64 acre. Our bigha to acre converter and biswa to square feet converter let you choose the Himachal value.
What common sizes look like
- 1 biswa = 435.6 sq ft, a little more than a 20 ft by 20 ft patch (400 sq ft)
- 5 biswa = 2,178 sq ft, a quarter of a bigha
- 10 biswa = 4,356 sq ft, half a bigha
- 1 bigha = 8,712 sq ft, the same as a plot of 99 ft by 88 ft (8,712 sq ft)
Common mistakes
- Using the UP bigha. Many charts give 27,225 sq ft for a bigha. In Himachal that would overstate the land about three times.
- Reading 3.4 as 3 bigha 4 biswa. 4 biswa is 0.2 bigha, so 3 bigha 4 biswa is 3.2 bigha.
- Mixing kanal and bigha. Check the unit column in the jamabandi before you convert.
- Ignoring local variation. In hill areas with their own customs, confirm the unit with the patwari.
This page explains common practice and is not an official source. For a sale, partition or court matter, confirm the unit with the patwari or the tehsil office and check the current record on HimBhoomi.
Questions people ask
Himachal mein 1 bigha kitne square feet ka hota hai?
In Himachal Pradesh, 1 bigha = 8,712 sq ft, which is about 809.37 square metres. This is the commonly used value, and 5 bigha make 1 acre.
How many biswa make 1 bigha in Himachal?
20 biswa make 1 bigha. One biswa is 435.6 sq ft, which is the same as 1 cent. One biswa has 20 biswansi of 21.78 sq ft each.
What are the land measurement units in Himachal Pradesh?
Most districts use bigha, biswa and biswansi. The Kangra area and some towns use kanal and marla, like Punjab. Hectare is used in official statistics.
How many bigha are there in 1 hectare in Himachal?
1 hectare = 12.36 Himachal bigha, because 1 hectare is 2.4711 acre and 1 acre is 5 bigha.
Is 1 kanal equal to 1 bigha in Himachal?
No. 1 kanal = 5,445 sq ft and 1 Himachal bigha = 8,712 sq ft. So 1 bigha = 1.6 kanal, or 32 marla.
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.