Dealings with regards to land and real estate usually involve some form of land area calculation. This is because area is an integral part of the valuation process and you, as a buyer or owner, should be aware of the nuances in area calculations. One of the main reasons to know this is because land is measured differently across the country.
The land measurements commonly used in the northern states differ vastly from those used in the southern, eastern, and western states. Understanding these differences and knowing their conversion ratios is in your best interest, especially if you’re looking to have land valued on proper terms.
Land measurement in India has often brought around confusion during property purchase or sale due to the various units used across different regions in the country. These measurement units also often vary from one Indian state to another. One must thus make sure to gain a comprehensive understanding of these units and their conversions when proceeding with land area calculation during a sale or purchase to gauge the size differences.
With this information, you can use tools like a land measurement converter or do a manual land area calculation to know the area of a plot in ordinary units. These include internationally-used units such as square meter, square feet, acres, and hectares. Conducting any sort of real estate transactions with these units simplifies the entire process. In India, there are only a few measurement units that are mostly used, like square yards, hectares square feet, acres, square meters, etc. However, the sizes are not always the same in every state they differ depending on the name of units. Apart from these units, some other popular terms like Decimal, Ghumaon, etc. can also be used in other states while measuring land.
It also safeguards against potential losses that may occur due to miscalculation. To understand how land area calculation is done in different states, check out these pointers.
What are the common land measurement units?
To do land area calculations with minimal error, be sure to employ commonly-used units. This helps ensure accurate measurements for evaluation and also allows for simpler conversions based on the preferred measuring unit in use. Here are a few common units of area and their conversion rates.
| Unit of Area | Unit of conversion |
| 1 square inch | 0.0069444 sq. ft. |
| 1 square feet (sq. ft.) | 144 sq. in. |
| 1 square yard (sq. yd.) | 9 sq. ft. |
| 1 Acre | 4,840 sq. yd. |
| 1 square meter (sq. m.) | 10.76 sq. ft. |
| 1 square kilometre (sq. km.) | 247.1 acres |
| 1 hectare | 10,000 sq. m. |
What are the land measurement units used in the northern states of India?
Land area calculations in states like Bihar, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are done using local measurement units. They are as follows.
| Unit | Conversion Rate |
| 1 Bigha | 968 sq. yd. |
| 1 Bigha-pucca | 3,025 sq. yd. |
| 1 Bigha-kachha | 1,008.33 sq. yd. |
| 1 Biswa | 48.4 sq. yd. |
| 1 Killa | 4,840 sq. yd. |
| 1 Kanal | 5,445 sq. ft. |
What are the land measurement units used in the southern states of India?
Similarly, when conducting land area calculation in states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala, these are the units you should expect to use.
| Unit | Conversion Rate |
| 1 Cent | 435.6 sq. ft. |
| 1 Guntha | 1,089 sq. ft. |
| 1 Ground | 2,400 sq. ft. |
| 1 Ankanam | 72 sq. ft. |
| 1 Kuncham | 484 sq. yd. |
What are the land measurement units used in the eastern states of India?
Common measurement units used for land area calculation in Assam, Bengal, Jharkhand, Tripura, and Bihar are as follows.
| Unit | Conversion Rate |
| 1 Dhur (In Jharkhand) | 68.06 sq. ft. |
| 1 Lecha | 144 sq. ft. |
| 1 Kattha (In Bihar) | 1361.25 sq. ft. |
| 1 Decimal | 48.4 sq. yd. |
| 1 Chatak | 180 sq. ft. |
| 1 Dhur (In Tripura) | 3.6 sq. ft. |
What are the land measurement units used in the western states of India?
When doing any land area calculation in Gujarat and Rajasthan, these are the measurement units to expect.
| Unit | Conversion Rate |
| 1 Bigha (In Gujarat) | 1,936 sq. yd. |
| 1 Biswa ( Upper parts of Rajasthan) | Pucca 151.25 sq. yd. |
| 1 Biswansi | 0.05 Biswa |
| 1 Biswa (lower parts of Rajasthan) | 96.8 sq. yd. |
Knowing how land area calculation is done across the different states in India helps you better understand the way land is valued. This enables you to notice discrepancies during the valuation or the sales process as a standard land measurement converter may not convert between these local units. With proper land area values, you can take, say, the circle rate in Delhi and find the minimum price for a plot. With real estate dealings, you can leave no room for error, so make sure to know the ins and outs of the unit systems used.