The bighaorbeegah (Persian: بیگھا, Hindi: बीघा) is a traditional unit of measurementofarea of a land, commonly used in northern & eastern India, Bangladesh and Nepal. There is no "standard" size of bigha and it varies considerably from place to place.[1]
Sources have given measurement of Bigha ranging from 6,805 square feet (632.2 m2) to 72,880 square feet (6,771 m2). It's sub-unit is Biswa or Katha in many regions, but it has no "standard" size. A bigha may have 5 to 20 Katha/ biswa in different regions.
The bigha is a traditional unit of land in several parts of North & East India. Sale and purchase of land (particularly agricultural land) is still done unofficially in this unit. However, the area is recorded in hectareorsquare metres in official land records. Bigha varies in size from one part of India to another. Various states and often regions within the same state have different sizes attributed to the bigha. It is usually less than one acre (43,560 square feet or 4,046.8 square metre) but can extend up to 3 acres.
InAssam, a bigha is 14,400 square feet (1,340 m2) or 1,600 sq yard. One bigha is divided into 5 Katha.[2][3] Each Katha consists of 20 Lessa. Hence each Katha is 2,880 square feet (268 m2) in area, although this may vary within different regions of Assam. 4 bighas together are further termed as a Pura.
InBihar, different regions have different sizes of bigha. Near the capital, Patna, one bigha is equivalent to 20 katha.[4]1Katha equating to 1,361.25 square feet (126.464 m2). One Katha is further subdivided in 20 dhur. Hence each Dhur is 68.05 square feet (6.322 m2). One Dhur is subdivided in 20 dhurki, each Dhurki being 3.403 square feet (0.3161 m2).
One decimal is equal to 435.60 sq feet[5][6][7] or 1/100 acre. One Acre = 43,560 square feet (4,047 m2) or 4,840 sq. yard.
1 Bigha (बीघा) = 20 Katha (कठ्ठा) = 2,529 m² or 3,025 sq. yard or 27,225 sq. feet
1Katha (कठ्ठा) = 20 Dhur (धुर) = 126.46 m² or 151.25 sq. yard or 1,361.25 sq. feet
InHimachal Pradesh, five bigha is equal to one Acre. Hence, 1 Bigha = 8,712 square feet (809.4 m2) or 968 square yard. One Hectare is equal to 12.35 bigha.
InPunjab and Haryana, 2 bigha is equal to one acre, each bigha is 4 kanals, each kanal is 20 marlas, each marla is 9 square karam, each square karam is 30.25 sq ft (5.5 X 5.5 ft), each karam is 5.5 feet. See measurement of land in Punjab.
1 Killa = 1 Acre = 8 Kanal = 2 bigha (4,047 sq.m. or 4,840 sq. yard)
1 bigha = 4 kanal = 0.5 Killa (2,420 sq. yard) (1 kanal = 605 sq yard)
InRajasthan, One Pucca Bigha = 27,225 square feet (2,529.3 m2) or 3,025 square yard. A plot of land with each side 165 feet is called as Bigha (165 ft × 165 ft).
One Kaccha Bigha = 17,424 square feet (1,618.7 m2) or 1,936 square yard.[8]
InUttar Pradesh, one bigha can mean different things to people in different districts of the state. One Bigha in UP ranges from 5 biswa to 20 biswa. Here one Biswa is 1,361 square feet (126.4 m2) or 151.25 square yard.
In Western UP, 1 bigha is usually equal to 5 biswa ie 6,805 square feet (632.2 m2) or 756 sq yard. In some districts it can be 6.67 biswa ie 9,077 square feet (843.3 m2) or 1,008 square yard.
In Eastern UP, 1 bigha is equal to 20 biswa. Hence one Bigha in Purvanchal is 27,225 square feet (2,529.3 m2) or 3,025 square yard.
InWest Bengal, the Bigha was standardized under British colonial rule at 14,400 square feet (1,340 m2) or 1,600 square yard. This is often interpreted as being 1/3 acre (it is precisely 40⁄121 acre). Therefore, 1 Acre = 3.025 bigha and 1 Hectare = 7.475 bigha in West Bengal.
Bigha is a traditional unit of land in entire Bangladesh, with land purchases still being undertaken in this unit. One bigha is equal to 20 Katha (14,400 square feet or 1,600 square yard) as standardized in pre-partition Bengal during the British rule. In other words, 3 bigha are just 0.5 Katha or 360 sq ft short of 1 acre. (One Acre = 4,840 sq yd or 43,560 sq ft or 4,047 sq m).
A Bigha is a customary unit of measurementinNepal, 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 (SI unit of square metre) is very seldom used officially in measuring area of land.
Measurement of area in terms of bigha
1 Bigha (बिघा)= 20 Katha (कठ्ठा) (about 6,772.63 m² or 72900 sq.ft.)
1Katha (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)
[Note: 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.)
The classic Hindi movie Do Bigha Zamin ("Two bighas of land", 1953) by Bimal Roy portrayed the struggle of a poor peasant with very little landholding.