Land Measurement in Kerala

Land measurement in Kerala is done in cents in everyday deals and in ares and hectares in official records. 1 cent = 435.6 sq ft, and 100 cents = 1 acre (43,560 sq ft). 1 are = 100 square metres = 1,076.39 sq ft, which is about 2.47 cents.

Land units used in Kerala

The cent, are, acre and hectare are fixed units. A cent is one hundredth of an acre and an are is one hundredth of a hectare. We did not find a Kerala government page that states the cent in square feet, but the value follows directly from the acre.

What is R in land measurement in Kerala

Many people see a letter R, or the short form Ar, in a Kerala land document and wonder what it means. In Kerala revenue records, area is written in metric units, and the middle unit between the hectare and the square metre is the are. So an extent written in hectares, ares and square metres usually reads like this: 0 hectare, 4 are (written R or Ar), 5 square metres. The safest step is to read the column heading on the document itself and, if it is unclear, ask the village office.

Here is how to convert an extent of 4 are 5 square metres to cents:

1. 4 are = 400 square metres, plus 5 square metres = 405 square metres
2. 405 x 10.7639 = 4,359.38 sq ft
3. 4,359.38 / 435.6 = 10.0078 cents, so about 10 cents

That is why a 10 cent plot often shows up as a little over 4 ares in the record. Land tax in Kerala is also worked out on the area in ares.

Chain of units

• 1 cent = 435.6 sq ft = 40.47 square metres
• 100 cents = 1 acre
• 1 are = 100 square metres = 2.4711 cents
• 100 are = 1 hectare = 247.11 cents = 2.4711 acre

Old land units in Kerala

Old documents from the Travancore area may use the kaani. In Kerala it is commonly given as 57.6 cents, about 25,091 sq ft. It is not the same as the Tamil Nadu kaani, so do not use a Tamil chart for a Travancore document. Old survey papers may also mention the kuzhi, but sources disagree on its size, so we do not give a value. One source mentions the ankanam (72 sq ft) in some parts of Kerala, but this rests on a single source.

Official records and portal

Kerala land records are kept by the Revenue Department through ReLIS (Revenue Land Information System). This now sits inside Ente Bhoomi, the integrated land information system that links revenue, registration and survey records. The record of rights in Kerala is the Thandaper register, kept in Malayalam. Records and tax receipts show area in hectares and ares, while sale talk is in cents.

Common plot sizes in cents

• 3 cents = 1,306.8 sq ft
• 5 cents = 2,178 sq ft
• 10 cents = 4,356 sq ft
• A 2,000 sq ft plot = 4.5914 cents

See our cent to square feet converter and are to square feet converter for other values.

Common mistakes

• Reading are as acre. 1 are is only about 2.47 cents. 1 acre is 100 cents.
• Rounding an are to 2.5 cents. Over a large area the error grows. Use 2.4711.
• Using a Tamil kaani for a Travancore document. The two are different.

This page explains common practice and is not an official source. For a sale, partition or court matter, confirm the extent with the village office (the village officer) or the taluk office, and check the Thandaper and the latest tax receipt.