Land Unit Converter India: Marla, Bigha

Quick Answer

Acre, hectare, gaj, guntha and cent are fixed: 1 acre is 43,560 sq ft and 1 gaj is 9 sq ft. Marla, bigha, biswa and katha vary by state and sometimes by district. The usual revenue marla is 272.25 sq ft, but 225 sq ft is also used. Always confirm the local figure with the patwari or tehsil.

Units are where small mistakes become big disputes.

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At a Glance

Unit	Value	Status
1 gaj (sq yd)	9 sq ft · 0.8361 sq m	Exact
1 acre	4,840 gaj · 43,560 sq ft · 4,046.86 sq m	Exact
1 hectare	10,000 sq m · 100 are · 2.471 acres	Exact
1 guntha · 1 cent	1/40 acre = 1,089 sq ft · 1/100 acre = 435.6 sq ft	Exact
1 marla (standard)	272.25 sq ft · 30.25 gaj; 20 marla = 1 kanal; 8 kanal = 1 acre	Reported
1 bigha	About 6,800 to 27,225 sq ft depending on state and district	Varies – verify

Land Unit Converter (by State)

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Exact by definition · Reported published, not confirmed on a government page · Varies – verify with the local patwari or tehsil. A reference, not a legal measurement.

Which Units Are Fixed and Which Vary?

Exact by definition

Since the international yard was fixed at 0.9144 m, these are exact: 1 gaj (sq yd) = 9 sq ft; 1 acre = 4,840 sq yd = 43,560 sq ft; 1 hectare = 10,000 sq m = 100 are. Guntha (1/40 acre, 1,089 sq ft) and cent or decimal (1/100 acre, 435.6 sq ft) are fractions of the acre.

Karam-based: marla, kanal, killa

9 sarsahi (square karam) make a marla, 20 marla a kanal, 8 kanal an acre. On the standard 5.5-ft karam a marla is 272.25 sq ft. Older settlements used a 60-inch karam (marla 25 gaj, 225 sq ft) or 57.5-inch karam (about 22.96 gaj), as reported from the Punjab Land Records Manual. Dealers' "25 gaj marla" comes from here.

Bigha-based: bigha, biswa, katha

Fixed state by state, often district by district. Usually 20 biswa = 1 bigha and 20 biswansi = 1 biswa. Katha is 1/20 bigha in Bihar and West Bengal, 1/5 in Assam. Ground (2,400 sq ft, Chennai) is a trade convention.

State-by-State Table of Variable Units

The figures the converter uses; the first listed is the default. None overrides your tehsil.

State/UT	Unit and value	Label	Source
Punjab	Marla 272.25 sq ft (default); 225 sq ft and about 206.6 sq ft in older karam areas. Kanal = 20 marla = 5,445 sq ft. Killa = 1 acre (consolidated); about 36,300 sq ft in older records.	Reported	Punjab Land Records Manual (2004), via sizes.com
Punjab (Zirakpur, parts of old Patiala state)	Records in bigha-biswa-biswansi. Kachha bigha about 9,075 sq ft (4.8 per acre); biswa about 453.75 sq ft.	Confirmed (units) Varies – verify (size)	sasnagar.nic.in notice, 3 Oct 2025; size via sizes.com
Haryana	Marla 272.25 sq ft; kanal 5,445 sq ft; 8 kanal = 1 acre = 1 killa. Bigha-biswa in some older records.	Reported	HALRIS units page (could not open); Wikipedia
Himachal Pradesh	Bigha about 8,712 sq ft (5 per acre); biswa 1/20 bigha. Kanal-marla also used.	Varies – verify	Reported (Wikipedia, converters)
Jammu & Kashmir	Marla 272.25 sq ft; kanal 5,445 sq ft (505.86 sq m).	Reported	Citing DoLR Glossary of Revenue Terms (2026)
Delhi	Bigha about 1,008.33 gaj (9,075 sq ft); 4.8 bigha = 1 acre; biswa 1/20 bigha.	Reported	Reported (sizes.com, Wikipedia)
Uttar Pradesh	Bigha 27,225 sq ft (pucca); 9,075 or 6,806.25 sq ft in parts.	Varies – verify	Reported (Wikipedia)
Rajasthan	Pucca bigha 27,225 sq ft (3,025 gaj); kachha bigha 17,424 sq ft.	Varies – verify	Reported (Wikipedia)
Bihar	Bigha 27,225 sq ft near Patna; katha 1/20 bigha (1,361.25 sq ft); varies by district.	Varies – verify	Reported (Wikipedia)
West Bengal	Bigha 14,400 sq ft; katha 720 sq ft; decimal 435.6 sq ft.	Reported	Reported (Wikipedia)
Assam	Bigha 14,400 sq ft; 5 katha = 1 bigha (katha 2,880 sq ft).	Reported	Reported (Wikipedia)
Gujarat	Bigha (vigha) commonly 17,424 sq ft; differs by region. Guntha 1,089 sq ft.	Varies – verify	Reported
Madhya Pradesh	Bigha commonly quoted at 12,000 sq ft; differs widely.	Varies – verify	Reported (Wikipedia)
Maharashtra	7/12 area in hectare-are; guntha 1,089 sq ft in trade.	Exact	Our 7/12 guide; fixed units
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana	Acre-guntha; cent 435.6 sq ft; plots in gaj.	Exact	Fixed fractions of an acre
Tamil Nadu, Kerala	Hectare-are in records; cent 435.6 sq ft; ground 2,400 sq ft (Chennai usage).	Exact Reported (ground)	Cent fixed; ground reported

Confirmed: seen on a government page. Reported: published elsewhere. Varies: verify with the patwari, lekhpal or tehsil.

How Do You Convert a Land Area Correctly?

1. Ask which unit and which state

Write down the exact unit the seller uses and where the land is. "Marla" or "bigha" alone is not a size.

2. Read the unit in the revenue record

Check whether the jamabandi, fard, khatauni or 7/12 records the land in kanal-marla, bigha-biswa or hectare-are.

3. Convert to sq ft, gaj and sq m

Use the converter with the right state and variant, and keep all three figures in your notes.

4. Match deed, record and brochure

The draft sale deed area must fit inside the seller's recorded share. Flag any gap in writing.

5. Quote price on one unit only

Put the agreed unit and its sq ft or sq m equivalent in the token receipt and agreement, so nobody can switch units later.

Worked Example: A "10 Marla" Plot in Zirakpur

A dealer offers a "10 marla plot" in a Zirakpur colony for ₹1.10 crore. The brochure says about 2,500 sq ft; the draft deed says 250 sq yd. The buyer assumes 2,722.5 sq ft. (Figures illustrative.)

Document	Says	In sq ft	In gaj
Buyer's assumption	10 marla at 272.25	2,722.5	302.5
Dealer's marla	10 marla at 25 gaj	2,250	250
Brochure	"About 2,500 sq ft"	2,500	277.8
Draft sale deed	250 sq yd	2,250	250
Seller's share in jamabandi	0 bigha 5 biswa 10 biswansi	about 2,495.6*	about 277.3*

*Only if that tehsil's bigha is the kachha bigha of about 9,075 sq ft (biswa 453.75 sq ft). Confirm with the patwari. Zirakpur sub-tehsil records do use bigha-biswa-biswansi: a SAS Nagar district notice for a colony in village Sanauli describes land as "3 Bigha 0 Biswa 0 Biswasi".

What the price really is. ₹1.10 crore for 250 gaj is ₹44,000 per gaj. On the buyer's assumption of 302.5 gaj it would be about ₹36,364 per gaj. The 52.5 gaj gap, at ₹44,000, is ₹23.1 lakh of land the buyer thinks they are getting and are not.

What the agent checks. The deed area (250 gaj) fits inside the recorded share (about 277 gaj), subject to title and approvals. The brochure overstates it, so the agent gets 250 gaj confirmed in writing, writes "250 sq yd (2,250 sq ft) at ₹44,000 per sq yd" on the token receipt, drops the word marla, and checks the colony's approval status (see our GMADA-approved colonies guide).

Keep every unit and record term in one place

The India Real Estate Dictionary PDF covers marla, kanal, bigha, biswa, killa, murabba, sarsahi, guntha, katha and hundreds of document and RERA terms, with agent tips. ₹499, or browse the free online dictionary.

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What Does a Trained Agent Know That an Untrained One Doesn't?

Untrained agent says	Trained agent knows
"10 marla is 10 marla."	A marla can be 272.25 or 225 sq ft. Write the deal in gaj or sq m.
"One bigha is about a third of an acre."	A bigha runs from about 0.15 acre to 0.625 acre depending on state and district. Ask the tehsil.
"The brochure says 2,500 sq ft, so it is 2,500."	The deed and the revenue record decide what is conveyed. The brochure is marketing.
"1 kanal is small, no RERA needed."	1 kanal is about 505.86 sq m. Section 3(2)(a) exempts only projects on land up to 500 sq m or with up to eight apartments; states can set lower limits.
"Carpet area and plot area are both just area."	Apartments are sold on carpet area under Section 2(k). Plots are sold on land area.

Checklist Before You Quote a Price Per Unit

☐ Unit named, plus the state, tehsil and village
☐ Unit used in the jamabandi, fard, khatauni or 7/12 noted
☐ Local conversion confirmed with the patwari, lekhpal or tehsil where a bigha, biswa, katha or old marla is involved
☐ Area in sq ft, gaj and sq m written in your file
☐ Draft deed area is not more than the seller's recorded share
☐ Physical measurement matches the deed; brochure corrected in writing
☐ Rate stated per one unit (per gaj or per sq m) on the token receipt and agreement
☐ For apartments: carpet area under Section 2(k) shown separately from any super area

How This Protects You and Your Buyer

No price-per-unit disputes

"Short land" complaints often start with two people meaning different marlas or bighas. One unit in writing, with its sq ft equivalent, prevents that, and protects a commission calculated on price.

Apartments follow a different rule

For flats, Section 2(k) carpet area is the figure the agreement must use, not super area or plot share. Our carpet area guide shows the calculation.

The buyer pays stamp duty on what the deed says

Collector rates are usually per sq yd, sq m or acre, so the conversion feeds straight into stamp duty. See stamp duty and registration charges by state and the property due diligence checklist.

This converter is a reference, not a measurement

Revenue records, the registered deed and an official demarcation are the authorities. If the tehsil's figure differs, the tehsil wins. For title, use a lawyer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many sq ft are in 1 marla?

On the standard 5.5-foot karam used in most of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and J&K, 1 marla is 272.25 sq ft (30.25 gaj, about 25.29 sq m). Older settlements used shorter karams (225 or about 206.6 sq ft), and many dealers use 25 gaj. Ask which marla is meant.

How many marla make a kanal, and how many kanal make an acre?

20 marla make 1 kanal and 8 kanal make 1 acre, so an acre is 160 marla. On the 272.25 sq ft marla, 1 kanal is 5,445 sq ft (605 gaj, about 505.86 sq m).

How many sq ft are in 1 bigha?

It depends on state and district. Reported figures: 27,225 sq ft (pucca bigha, Rajasthan, parts of UP and Bihar), 14,400 sq ft (West Bengal, Assam), 8,712 sq ft (Himachal), about 9,075 sq ft (Delhi and parts of Punjab and Haryana). Confirm with the patwari or tehsil.

What is 1 gaj in sq ft?

1 gaj is 1 square yard, which is exactly 9 sq ft (about 0.836 sq m). North Indian plots are usually sold in gaj.

How big is 1 killa?

In consolidated Punjab and Haryana villages a killa is 36 by 40 karam: 1 acre (43,560 sq ft, 8 kanal). Some older records use a smaller killa of about 36,300 sq ft.

Why does the patwari give a different figure from an online converter?

Traditional units were fixed locally at settlement. Converters, including this one, apply a standard figure. The tehsil is the authority for its own records.

Which area should I trust: the brochure, the sale deed or the revenue record?

The brochure is marketing. Compare the draft deed area with the seller's recorded share and a physical measurement. If they differ, have a lawyer or the revenue office explain the gap before any payment.

Read the Record, Not Just the Brochure.

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Land Unit Converter IndiaMarla, Kanal, Bigha, Gaj and More, by State