Bigha

The bigha (Hindi: बीघा, Assamese: বিঘা, Bengali: বিঘা) is a unit of measurement of area of a land, commonly used in Nepal, Bangladesh and in a few states of India including Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Gujarat, Rajasthan etc. The precise size of a bigha appears to vary considerably. Sources have given measurements ranging from 1,500 to 6,771 square metres (16,150 to 72,880 sq ft), but in several smaller pockets, it can be as high as 12,400 square metres (133,000 sq ft).

Uses in India

The bigha is a traditional unit of land in several parts of India, with land purchases still being undertaken in this unit. However, it varies in size from one part of India to another. It is usually less than one acre (0.4 hectares), but can extend up to 3 acres (1.2 hectares). Various states and often parts within states have different sizes attributed to the bigha.

In Assam, a bigha is 14,400 square feet (1,340 m²), subdivided into five katha. Each katha consists of 20 lecha with a lecha covering 144 square feet (13.4 m²) in area, and hence each katha is 2,880 square feet (268 m²) in area, although this may vary.

In Bihar, different areas use different sizes to define the bigha. Near the capital, Patna, one katha is equivalent to 20 lecha, equating to 1,361 square feet (126.4 m²). One katha is further subdivided in 20 dhur, hence, each dhur is approximately 68.06 square feet (6.323 m²).
- Note that in some of eastern parts of the state including Munger, Bhagalpur and Jamui, one dhur is further subdivided into one square lagga (pole length). One lagga is equivalent to 5.5 hand lengths, with each hand length being 18 inches (460 mm). Therefore one lagga is 99 inches, or 251.46 cm.

In Himachal Pradesh, five bigha is equal to one acre (0.0809 hectare).
In Punjab, four bigha is equal to one acre.
In central India, bighas were standardized at 3025 yd²((2529.3 m²) or 5/8 acre (0.2529 hectare).
In Madhya Pradesh, one Katha = 600 square feet (56 m²).
In Rajasthan, one bigha is equal to 1,618.7 square metres (17,424 sq ft).^[1]
In Uttar Pradesh, one bigha can mean different things to people in different areas of the state. In the more developed western areas of the state one bigha is either equal to five biswa (one biswa is 125 square metres (1,350 sq ft) or 6.75 biswa. In the remainder of Uttar Pradesh, 1 bigha is divided into 20 biswas. Each Biswas is 125 m² or 154.32 yd² (hence one Bigha is 0.25 Hectare (or 2500 m² or 301 yd²(). 7 Bisa ~ 1 Bigha (Kaccha)(In Western UP)IN u.p 1 acres = 2 biga
In Uttar Pradesh (West) the measurements are slightly different: one Bigha=20 20 bishwa=60 Decimal=2428.80 m²
In Uttarakhand, 1 Bigha is subdivided into 19 Bissas or 12 Nali. In Imperial and SI Units, each Bigha is 968 yd² or 800 m².
In West Bengal, the Bigha was standardized under British colonial rule at 1600 yd² (0.1338 hectare or 0.3306 acre); this is often interpreted as being 1/3 acre (it is precisely ⁴⁰⁄₁₂₁ acre). In metric units, a bigha is hence 1333 m².

Uses in Bangladesh

Bigha is a traditional unit of land in all over Bangladesh, with land purchases still being undertaken in this unit. In terms of acre, 3 bighas is just 0.5 katha short of 1 acre.

Measurements of area in terms of bigha

1 Katha (কাঠা) = 720 sq ft (66.89 sq m)

1 Bigha (বিঘা) = 20 katha (কাঠা) (14,400 sq ft or 1,337.8 sq m)

1 Acre (একর) = 3 bigha (বিঘা) 0.5 katha (কাঠা) (4,840 sq yd or 43,560 sq ft)

Use in Nepal

A Bigha is a customary unit of measurement in Nepal, equal to about 6,773 square meters. Officially, most measurement of lands use units of either Bigha (in Terai region) or Ropani (Nepali: रोपनी) (in Hilly regions). Metric system is very seldom used officially in measuring area of Land.

Measurement of area in terms of bigha

1 Bigha (बिघा)= 20 Kattha (कठ्ठा) (about 6,772.63 m² or 72900 sq.ft.); 1 Kattha (कठ्ठा) = 20 Dhur (धुर) (about 338.63 m² or 3,645 sq.ft.); 1 Dhur (धुर) = 16.93 m² or 182.25 sq.ft.; 1 Kanwa (कनवा) = 1/16 Dhur (धुर); 1 Kanaee (कनई) = 1/16 Kanwa (कनवा) [Kanwa is largely obsolete and is used only when tiny lands are very precious]; 1 Bigha = 13.31 Ropani (रोपनी); 1 Ropani = 16 aana (आना) (about 508.72 m² or 5476 sq. ft.); 1 aana = 4 paisa (पैसा) (about 31.80 m² or 342.25 sq.ft.); 1 paisa = 4 daam (दाम) (7.95 m²)
1 Bigha = 6,772.63 m²

For the different Ropani system from the one above

1 Bigha = .677263 hectare = 1.6735 acre = 13.31 Ropani

1 Hectare = 19.965 Ropani

19.965 Ropani = 1 Hectare

1 Ropani = 508.83771 m²

Uses in Bihar, India

The following measure of land existed in uttar pradesh:

A Kattha (also spelled Cottah) is a unit of area approximately equal to 1/20th of a uttar pradesh (1361.25 ft² or 126.46 m²).

A Kattha is approximately 1361.25 square foot or 1/20 of a Bigha. It is still in use in much of Bangladesh and India.

1 Kattha=3.125 decimal

1 decimal=435.6 sq ft/436 sq.ft

1 Kattah (or Cottah) = 1361.25 Sq ft

1 Kattah (or Cottah) = 126.46 Sq meter

20 Kattah (or Cottah) = 1 Bigha

1.6 Bigha = 1 Acre approx. (43560 sq feet) = 100 Decimal

And related with Gonda measure of land in Noakhali, Bangladesh:

4 Kora = 1 Gonda
20 Gonda = 1 Kani
80 Kora = 1 Kani
120 Decimal = 1 Kani

Use in Fiji

In Fiji Hindi 1 bigha is equal to 1 acre

References

↑ http://sizes.com/units/bigha.htm

Sources

External links

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