What is a bigha — and why it's different in every state
The same word, very different plots. A bigha in Madhya Pradesh is almost twice the size of a bigha in West Bengal.
Last updated: 19 May 2026
If you have ever asked an elder in a village how big a plot is and they answered "two bigha," you already know the unit. What is less obvious — and what catches a lot of first-time buyers off-guard — is that a bigha is not a single, standardised measure. It is a customary unit that evolved differently in each region of India, and the modern revenue records of different states still use the local definition.
That means 1 bigha in Madhya Pradesh is approximately 27,225 square feet. But 1 bigha in West Bengal is approximately 14,400 square feet— almost half. If you grew up hearing "one bigha" meant a particular plot size and then you move states, the same word now describes something meaningfully different.
State-by-state values
These are the most-commonly-cited values for a pucca (the larger registered) bigha in each state. Several states also use a kachha (smaller customary) bigha at roughly half the size — always confirm which one is recorded against the specific plot you are buying.
- Madhya Pradesh — 27,225 sqft
- Uttar Pradesh — 27,000 sqft (pucca; some districts use a kachha bigha at half)
- Bihar — 27,220 sqft (north Bihar districts may use a smaller customary value)
- Rajasthan — 27,225 sqft (pucca); 12,600 sqft (kachha)
- Gujarat — 17,427 sqft
- West Bengal — 14,400 sqft (defined as 20 katha × 720 sqft)
- Assam — 14,400 sqft (5 katha of 2,880 sqft each)
- Himachal Pradesh — varies by district; typically 8,712 sqft (hill bigha)
- Punjab and Haryana — typically 9,070 sqft (where the unit is used)
Why the variation exists
The bigha pre-dates standardised metrication. It was a practical unit — roughly the amount of land a pair of bullocks could plough in a day, or that could produce a particular quantity of grain. Both those benchmarks vary with soil, climate, and crop. So when local rulers and later British revenue officers codified their bigha into records, they each fixed it at a slightly different number of square feet that matched local practice.
When India standardised on metric units in the 1950s, the bigha was not abolished — it remained the working unit in revenue records, sale deeds, and oral negotiation across most of north, east, and central India. Each state simply kept its own value.
Pucca vs kachha
In Rajasthan, parts of UP, and some Bihar districts, you will hear both pucca bigha and kachha bigha. Pucca is the larger value (the one above). Kachha is typically half. Which one is recorded against your plot depends on the date of the original survey and the specific revenue register that mentions it. For any registered transaction, the value that matters is the one in the official record, not the one you and the seller verbally agreed.
Sub-units: biswa, katha
A bigha is usually divided into smaller customary units — also state- specific. The most common:
- Biswa (UP, MP) — 1/20 of a bigha. So 1 biswa in MP is roughly 1,361 sqft; in UP, 1,350 sqft.
- Katha (Bihar, WB, Assam, Jharkhand) — usually 1/20 of a bigha. The katha value varies just like the bigha does.
- Dhur (Bihar, Jharkhand) — 1/20 of a katha, approximately 68 sqft.
Practical advice for buyers
When you are looking at a plot listing or a sale deed:
- Ask whichbigha is being referred to. "Two bigha" in a Bhopal listing is roughly 54,000 sqft. The same phrase from a Kolkata listing is 28,800 sqft. Get the square-foot equivalent in writing.
- Cross-check against the registered land record. The state Bhulekh / land-records portal lists the area in the unit the revenue department actually uses for that mauja or village. If your sale deed says "1 bigha" but the Bhulekh entry says "1 bigha 5 biswa," that is a meaningful five-percent discrepancy you want resolved before signing.
- Use a converter that respects state-specific values. The Settelo Plot Area Converter asks you to pick a state before showing regional units, so the number you get back reflects the local bigha — not a generic average.