Written and fact-checked by Aadil Saif. Arithmetic independently re-verified · Last updated September 2026
Part of the India Land Unit Converter series.
This page had to answer a question before it could answer any other: is biswa kacha a unit, or a description? Searching the instruments settled it. The phrase appears in none of them, while the measure it points at is stated outright by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. So the page gives the number first and then says plainly where the name comes from. One further thing turned up in the arithmetic and is set out below: of every figure in this family, the one people most often want, the value in gaj, is the only one that cannot be written down in full. Every value here was held as an exact fraction and rounded once, at printing; the checking script tests which figures terminate rather than taking the page's word for it, and re-derives the Court's own three conversions from its own words.
1 kachha biswa = 453.75 square feet. Exactly one ninety-sixth of an acre, exactly 42.1547544 square metres, and exactly five-thirds of a marla.
| Kachha biswa | Square feet | Marla | Kanal | Square metres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 453.75 | 1.666667 | 0.083333 | 42.1548 |
| 2 | 907.5 | 3.333333 | 0.166667 | 84.3095 |
| 3 | 1,361.25 | 5 | 0.25 | 126.4643 |
| 5 | 2,268.75 | 8.333333 | 0.416667 | 210.7738 |
| 6 | 2,722.5 | 10 | 0.5 | 252.9285 |
| 10 | 4,537.5 | 16.666667 | 0.833333 | 421.5475 |
| 12 | 5,445 | 20 | 1 | 505.8571 |
| 20 | 9,075 | 33.333333 | 1.666667 | 843.0951 |
| 24 | 10,890 | 40 | 2 | 1,011.7141 |
| 96 | 43,560 | 160 | 8 | 4,046.8564 |
| Biswa Kacha | Square Feet | Square Meter | Marla (Standard) | Kanal (Standard) | Acre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 453.75 | 42.1547544 | 1.666667 | 0.083333 | 0.010417 |
| 2 | 907.5 | 84.3095088 | 3.333333 | 0.166667 | 0.020833 |
| 3 | 1,361.25 | 126.4642632 | 5 | 0.25 | 0.03125 |
| 5 | 2,268.75 | 210.773772 | 8.333333 | 0.416667 | 0.052083 |
| 10 | 4,537.5 | 421.547544 | 16.666667 | 0.833333 | 0.104167 |
| 20 | 9,075 | 843.095088 | 33.333333 | 1.666667 | 0.208333 |
| 50 | 22,687.5 | 2,107.73772 | 83.333333 | 4.166667 | 0.520833 |
| 100 | 45,375 | 4,215.47544 | 166.666667 | 8.333333 | 1.041667 |
| 200 | 90,750 | 8,430.95088 | 333.333333 | 16.666667 | 2.083333 |
| 500 | 226,875 | 21,077.3772 | 833.333333 | 41.666667 | 5.208333 |
| 1,000 | 453,750 | 42,154.7544 | 1,666.666667 | 83.333333 | 10.416667 |
Twelve of them make a kanal and ninety-six make an acre, both exactly, which is the useful way to convert, because it is the only route that never rounds.
In gaj it is 50.41666… square yards, and those dots are not laziness. That figure recurs for ever, which is why no two sources quote it the same way.
And the name: kachha is an adjective, not part of a unit's name. No instrument we could find says "kachha biswa". Here is what they say instead.
Convert The answer, first · To square feet and square metres · To acre, hectare and the metric units · The small units
Understand "Biswa kacha" is not a unit name · What the High Court actually said · The figure that cannot be written down · Inside Punjab's kanal system · Telling pucca from kachha · Three mistakes
Check FAQ · Sources and method
Convert to a specific unit: Acre · Ankanam · Ares · Bigha · Biswa · Cent · Chatak · Decimal · Dhur · Dismil · Gaj · Gajam · Ground · Guntha · Hectare · Kanal · Katha · Killa · Lessa · Marla · Murabba · Nali · Perch · Pura · Square Centimeter · Square Feet · Square Inch · Square Karam · Square Kilometer · Square Meter · Square Mile · Square Yard
Every one of the other thirty-two units has a section on this page. Where two units are the same area their table would be identical, so the second section points at the first rather than repeating it.
Every factor is a biswa kacha's own size, 453.75 square feet, divided by the target unit's. To check any row by hand, take that number, divide, and compare.
Each one comes from a single anchor, the acre at 43,560 square feet, by exact fraction arithmetic. Where a factor recurs, the formula gives the fraction rather than a rounded decimal, because a rounded factor is a wrong instruction rather than an approximate one: the fraction is what has to be carried wherever the arithmetic must close. Every row below is computed on the Punjab / Haryana revenue definition of the biswa kacha, 453.75 square feet. The other definitions, and what each is attested by, are in the regional table on this page; a row read against the wrong one is wrong by the ratio between them.
| Conversion | Formula | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Biswa Kacha to Acre | Biswa Kacha ÷ 96 | Recurring |
| Biswa Kacha to Ankanam | Biswa Kacha × 605/96 | Recurring · Ankanam is regional. This row is the Standard; also 12.604167 |
| Biswa Kacha to Ares | Biswa Kacha × 0.421547544 | Exact |
| Biswa Kacha to Bigha | Biswa Kacha ÷ 48 | Recurring · Bigha is regional. This row is the Punjab / west Haryana; also 0.016667, 0.05, 0.066667 and 5 more |
| Biswa Kacha to Biswa | Biswa Kacha × 1 | Exact · Biswa is regional. This row is the Punjab / Haryana old records; also 0.333333, 0.520833, 1.041667 |
| Biswa Kacha to Cent | Biswa Kacha ÷ 0.96 | Recurring |
| Biswa Kacha to Chatak | Biswa Kacha × 121/12 | Recurring |
| Biswa Kacha to Decimal | Biswa Kacha ÷ 0.96 | Recurring |
| Biswa Kacha to Dhur | Biswa Kacha ÷ 0.15 | Recurring · Dhur is regional. This row is the Bihar / Jharkhand (Patna chain); also 126.041667 |
| Biswa Kacha to Dismil | Biswa Kacha ÷ 0.96 | Recurring |
| Biswa Kacha to Gaj | Biswa Kacha × 605/12 | Recurring |
| Biswa Kacha to Gajam | Biswa Kacha × 605/12 | Recurring |
| Biswa Kacha to Ground | Biswa Kacha × 0.1890625 | Exact |
| Biswa Kacha to Guntha | Biswa Kacha ÷ 2.4 | Recurring |
| Biswa Kacha to Hectare | Biswa Kacha × 0.00421547544 | Exact |
| Biswa Kacha to Kanal | Biswa Kacha ÷ 12 | Recurring · Kanal is regional. This row is the Standard (66-inch karam); also 0.100833, 0.109792, 0.124486 |
| Biswa Kacha to Katha | Biswa Kacha ÷ 3 | Recurring · Katha is regional. This row is the Bihar state standard; also 0.630208, 0.157552, 0.260417 and 2 more |
| Biswa Kacha to Killa | Biswa Kacha ÷ 96 | Recurring |
| Biswa Kacha to Lessa | Biswa Kacha × 605/192 | Recurring |
| Biswa Kacha to Marla | Biswa Kacha ÷ 0.6 | Recurring · Marla is regional. This row is the Standard (66-inch karam); also 2.016667, 2.195841, 2.489712 and 1 more |
| Biswa Kacha to Murabba | Biswa Kacha ÷ 2,400 | Recurring · Murabba is regional. This row is the Punjab canal colony; also 0.000667 |
| Biswa Kacha to Nali | Biswa Kacha × 121/576 | Recurring |
| Biswa Kacha to Perch | Biswa Kacha ÷ 0.6 | Recurring |
| Biswa Kacha to Pura | Biswa Kacha × 121/15,360 | Recurring |
| Biswa Kacha to Square Centimeter | Biswa Kacha × 421,547.544 | Exact |
| Biswa Kacha to Square Feet | Biswa Kacha × 453.75 | Exact |
| Biswa Kacha to Square Inch | Biswa Kacha × 65,340 | Exact |
| Biswa Kacha to Square Karam | Biswa Kacha × 15 | Exact · Square Karam is regional. This row is the Standard (66-inch karam); also 18.15, 19.762571, 22.407407 |
| Biswa Kacha to Square Kilometer | Biswa Kacha × 0.0000421547544 | Exact |
| Biswa Kacha to Square Meter | Biswa Kacha × 42.1547544 | Exact |
| Biswa Kacha to Square Mile | Biswa Kacha ÷ 61,440 | Recurring |
| Biswa Kacha to Square Yard | Biswa Kacha × 605/12 | Recurring |
Type the phrase into a property portal and you will get a converter. Type it into a statute, a rule, a revenue manual or a judgment and you will get nothing. We looked, and unit 10 of this series looked before it, and neither search found the compound used as a term of art anywhere in Indian land law.
That is not because the measure is fictional. It is because kachha is doing the work of an adjective.
Kachha means rough, unripe, short. Pucca means firm, ripe, standard. They are ordinary Hindi and Punjabi words, and Indian revenue practice attaches them to whichever unit is under discussion (a kachha bigha, a kachha karam, a kachha biswa) to say which rod was used, not which unit. The unit is always the biswa. The adjective tells you the measure it was cut on.
You can see the adjective working properly elsewhere in the same family. A kachha bigha is a real and attested quantity (9,075 square feet, twenty of these biswas), and a tribunal has recorded a patwari certifying that one pucca bigha equals three kachha bighas. A kachha karam is the shorter of the two surveyor's rods that produce the whole difference. In both cases the noun is the unit and kachha qualifies it. Nothing changes when the noun is biswa.
So the documents say "biswa", and the reader is expected to know from the district, the record or the arithmetic which measure is meant. That expectation is exactly what fails a buyer reading an unfamiliar deed, and it is why this page exists.
Converter sites and property listings, which need a label for a row in a table and cannot write a sentence in the middle of one. "Biswa kacha" is a search term before it is anything else, and its presence in a listing tells you the listing was written for a search engine rather than copied from a document. That is worth knowing when you are weighing what a listing says about an area.
What to do with that, practically. If you are searching, "biswa kacha" is a fine thing to type. It will find you pages like this one. If you are writing (a deed, an agreement, an email to a lawyer) do not use it. Write the square-foot figure, or the figure in kanal and marla, and if you must name the measure, say "biswa on the Punjab measure of ninety-six to the acre". That phrasing cannot be misread, and it is what the High Court's own language amounts to.
The Biswa page sets out which biswa values are attested and which are only in circulation. This page takes the one that Punjab's High Court states and works it out in full.
Multiply by 453.75 for square feet and by 42.1547544 for square metres. Both are exact, and both stay exact however many biswas you have.
| Kachha biswa | Square feet | Square metres | Marla | Kachha bigha |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 453.75 | 42.1548 | 1.6667 | 0.05 |
| 2 | 907.5 | 84.3095 | 3.3333 | 0.1 |
| 3 | 1,361.25 | 126.4643 | 5 | 0.15 |
| 4 | 1,815 | 168.619 | 6.6667 | 0.2 |
| 5 | 2,268.75 | 210.7738 | 8.3333 | 0.25 |
| 6 | 2,722.5 | 252.9285 | 10 | 0.3 |
| 8 | 3,630 | 337.238 | 13.3333 | 0.4 |
| 10 | 4,537.5 | 421.5475 | 16.6667 | 0.5 |
| 12 | 5,445 | 505.8571 | 20 | 0.6 |
| 15 | 6,806.25 | 632.3213 | 25 | 0.75 |
| 20 | 9,075 | 843.0951 | 33.3333 | 1 |
| 24 | 10,890 | 1,011.7141 | 40 | 1.2 |
| 30 | 13,612.5 | 1,264.6426 | 50 | 1.5 |
| 36 | 16,335 | 1,517.5712 | 60 | 1.8 |
| 40 | 18,150 | 1,686.1902 | 66.6667 | 2 |
| 48 | 21,780 | 2,023.4282 | 80 | 2.4 |
| 60 | 27,225 | 2,529.2853 | 100 | 3 |
| 72 | 32,670 | 3,035.1423 | 120 | 3.6 |
| 96 | 43,560 | 4,046.8564 | 160 | 4.8 |
| 120 | 54,450 | 5,058.5705 | 200 | 6 |
| 192 | 87,120 | 8,093.7128 | 320 | 9.6 |
| 240 | 108,900 | 10,117.1411 | 400 | 12 |
| 480 | 217,800 | 20,234.2821 | 800 | 24 |
| 960 | 435,600 | 40,468.5642 | 1,600 | 48 |
The marla column is the one to use if you are talking to anyone in Punjab, and the kachha bigha column if you are reading an older deed. Twenty-four kachha biswas is two kanal; ninety-six is an acre.
| Square feet | Kachha biswa | Marla | Kanal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 272.25 | 0.6 | 1 | 0.05 |
| 453.75 | 1 | 1.6667 | 0.083333 |
| 1,000 | 2.203857 | 3.6731 | 0.183655 |
| 2,722.5 | 6 | 10 | 0.5 |
| 5,445 | 12 | 20 | 1 |
| 9,075 | 20 | 33.3333 | 1.666667 |
| 10,000 | 22.038567 | 36.7309 | 1.836547 |
| 21,780 | 48 | 80 | 4 |
| 43,560 | 96 | 160 | 8 |
Divide by 453.75. Unlike the square-yard direction, this one behaves: 453.75 and 272.25 are both terminating decimals, so a square-foot figure converts into biswas and marlas without any recurring nonsense. It is the direction to work in whenever you have the choice.
The clearest statement of this measure by an Indian court comes from the Punjab and Haryana High Court in Greater Mohali Area Development Authority v. Hardip Kaur Gill, decided 25 February 2025. The passage is worth quoting in full, because it gives the whole chain in three clauses:
"the area of 20 biswansis or 1 biswa is 50.41666 square yards, whereas 20 biswas or 1 bigha is 1008.3333 square yards. 96 biswas (4 bighas 16 biswas) is equivalent to 1 acre land measuring 4840 square yards."
Nothing in the series states a traditional unit more completely. A biswansi, a biswa, a bigha and an acre, in one sentence, with the counts between them.
The context matters, and it is unusually solid. This was not an aside. The judgment disposed of roughly 484 consolidated appeals arising from a 2004 acquisition of about 417.39 acres across four villages, Chilla, Mauli Baidwan, Kumbra and Raipur Khurd, in the Mohali belt. The dispute was over compensation per acre, with landowners seeking around five crore rupees per acre. Converting between the biswa figures in the revenue records and the per-acre valuations was not a formality; it was how the money was worked out.
Set the three figures against their exact values:
| What the Court states | Its figure | Exact value | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| "20 biswansis or 1 biswa is 50.41666 square yards" | 50.41666 | 50.4166667… | -0.0000067 |
| "20 biswas or 1 bigha is 1008.3333 square yards" | 1,008.3333 | 1,008.3333333… | -0.0000333 |
| "96 biswas … is equivalent to 1 acre land measuring 4840 square yards" | 4,840 | 4,840 | 0 |
Two of the three are slightly short, and the third is exact. That pattern is not carelessness. It is the signature of the problem this whole page turns on.
The per-biswa and per-bigha figures are truncations of recurring decimals. 50.41666… does not stop, so any written figure is short by something. The acre figure is not a truncation at all, because 96 biswas of 453.75 square feet is 43,560 square feet, which is 4,840 square yards on the nose.
So the Court quoted a rounded biswa and an exact acre, which tells you it computed from the acre downwards, not from the biswa upwards. That is the right way round, and it is the rule this page recommends.
Four further Punjab and Haryana judgments recite biswa figures. None defines its terms, and they cannot be reconciled with each other:
In Samay Singh v. Mona Yadav (12 April 2019), a Gurugram property is described as "2 biswa 9 biswansi i.e. 373.77 square yards", which works out at about 152.56 square yards to the biswa, close to the pucca 151.25 and not equal to it. In Chamkaur Singh v. State of Punjab (19 February 2020) a parcel is "0 Biswa 15 Biswansi (2400 Square Yards)", which would put thousands of square yards in a biswa; no biswa value supports that, and the likeliest explanation is a labelling slip somewhere in the record, though we are not going to guess which. Sewa Singh v. State of Haryana (10 November 2008) recites both biswa figures and square-yard figures, but they describe different parcels, so nothing can be drawn from it at all. Sudama and Others (1 October 2010) gives the chain without an area.
We are not offering these as alternative values, and no converter should. They are a caution about a bare biswa figure in a court record: unless the document states its own conversion, the number tells you a count and not an area.
Here is why every source gives you a slightly different number of gaj for this unit, and why none of them is wrong.
A kachha biswa is 453.75 square feet. Divide by nine to get square yards and you get 605⁄12, and a denominator of 12 carries a 3, so the decimal never terminates. It is 50.41666…, and the sixes continue without end.
There is a general rule underneath this, and it is worth carrying because it settles the same question for every unit you will meet. A fraction terminates in decimal if, and only if, its denominator has no prime factor except two and five. 605⁄12 has a 3 in the denominator, so it recurs. Compare this unit with its own family:
| Figure | Exact value | As a decimal | Can it be written in full? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kachha biswa, square feet | 1815/4 | 453.75 | Yes |
| Kachha biswa, square yards | 605/12 | 50.41666667… | No; it recurs |
| Kachha biswa, square metres | n/a | 42.1547544 | Yes |
| Kachha biswa, marla | 5/3 | 1.666667… | No; it recurs |
| Kachha bigha, square yards | 3025/3 | 1,008.3333333… | No; it recurs |
| Pucca biswa, square yards | 605/4 | 151.25 | Yes |
| Ninety-six kachha biswa, square yards | 4,840 | 4,840 | Yes |
The pucca biswa terminates and the kachha one does not. That is not a property of the land or of the surveyor. It is a property of the number three: a pucca biswa is three kachha biswas, so dividing the pucca's tidy 151.25 by three produces a figure that cannot be tidy.
The same thing happens elsewhere in this series whenever a three or an eleven survives into a denominator. A Kolkata cottah comes to 1.652893… of a hundredth of an acre; a Hajipur katha comes to 4.364669… of the same. Neither will ever resolve, for the same reason this will not. Where a unit is a simple fraction of the acre (as this one is, at one ninety-sixth) the acre route stays exact and everything else is optional.
The rule that follows: convert through the acre or through square feet, never through gaj. Ninety-six kachha biswas are an acre exactly; 4,840 square yards is an acre exactly; but going biswa → gaj → anything else compounds a rounding at the first step. The High Court's own figures show the difference. Its acre line is exact and its biswa line is not.
Punjab does not record land in biswas. A fard shows kanal and marla, and that is what a Punjab holder actually has in hand. The good news is that this measure was built to fit that system, and the fit is exact.
| Punjab's recorded chain | Square feet | In kachha biswa | Exact? | Per acre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 kanal | 5,445 | 12 | Yes | 8 |
| 1 marla | 272.25 | 0.6 | Yes | 160 |
| 1 sarsahi | 30.25 | 0.066667 | No | 1,440 |
| The biswa chain beside it | ||||
| 1 kachha bigha | 9,075 | 20 | Yes | 4.8 |
| 1 kachha biswa | 453.75 | 1 | Yes | 96 |
| 1 kachha biswansi | 22.6875 | 0.05 | Yes | 1,920 |
Twelve kachha biswas make a kanal. Not approximately: exactly, because a kanal is an eighth of an acre and a kachha biswa a ninety-sixth, and 96 ÷ 8 is 12. The same reasoning gives 0.6 of a kachha biswa to the marla and twenty to the kachha bigha.
The whole nesting falls out of the acre, and it is short enough to keep in mind:
1 acre = 8 kanal = 160 marla = 1,440 sarsahi 1 acre = 4.8 kachha bigha = 96 kachha biswa = 1,920 kachha biswansi
Both rows are exact and both count the same ground. Note the 4.8: an acre is not a whole number of kachha bighas, which is why the High Court had to write "4 bighas 16 biswas" rather than a round figure. The ratio between the two chains is 160 marla to 96 biswa, which is five to three, the same three that makes the gaj figure recur, showing up here as a clean ratio instead. Where the three divides out, the arithmetic is tidy; where it does not, it recurs.
The one row that does not come out clean is the sarsahi, at 0.066667 of a kachha biswa. Exactly one fifteenth, and a denominator of 15 carries the same 3 that spoils the gaj figure. It matters only if you are converting the smallest entries on a fard.
So the practical route for a Punjab reader is short. Take your kanal figure, multiply by twelve, and you have kachha biswas with no rounding anywhere. Take your marla figure, multiply by 0.6, same. Going the other way, divide by twelve or by 0.6. Nothing in that path touches square yards, and nothing in it rounds.
Everything on this page assumes your document is on the kachha measure. If it is on the pucca measure, every figure here is a third of the truth. There is one question that settles it.
Ask how many biswas make an acre. Ninety-six means kachha: this page. Thirty-two means pucca, and the Biswa page has your figures. A patwari can answer it in a sentence, and it is worth asking in writing when money turns on it.
Two things that do not settle it. The region does not, reliably: both measures appear across the Punjab–Haryana–western UP belt, and the Biswa page documents a district where the revenue record and the sale deed are deliberately in different measures for the same land. And the word on the paper does not, because the paper will usually just say "biswa".
If the document itself gives you two figures, divide them. Many deeds state a biswa count and, somewhere else, an area in square yards or an acreage. Divide the second by the first and you get the measure directly: about 50.4 square yards to the biswa means kachha, about 151.25 means pucca. On an acreage, divide the biswa count by the acres. 96 means kachha, 32 means pucca. This is more reliable than any regional rule, because it comes from the document in front of you.
Worked through, on a line of the shape deeds actually carry. Suppose the document says "Khasra 412, 15 biswa, admeasuring 0.15625 acre". Divide the biswas by the acres: 15 ÷ 0.15625 is 96. That is the kachha measure, and the plot is 6,806.25 square feet. Had the same 15 biswas been recorded against 0.46875 acre, the division would have given 32, the pucca measure, and 20,418.75 square feet. The document answers the question about itself, if it gives you two numbers.
A Punjab fard settles it by existing. If your record is in kanal and marla rather than bigha and biswa, you are in the system this measure was built for, and the conversion is the exact one above, twelve kachha biswas to the kanal. A record in bigha and biswa with no kanal column is more likely to be a UP or Haryana record, where the pucca measure is usual and the Biswa page applies.
If you cannot get an answer at all, convert your figure both ways and see which is plausible against the plot you can walk. A 20-biswa holding is 9,075 square feet on this measure and 27,225 on the other, a difference visible from the gate.
One value not to confuse this with. The figure of 435.6 square feet circulates as a Himachal biswa. It is four per cent below the kachha biswa and easily mistaken for it, and why we could not source it at all is set out with the pucca measure. If a document points you at 435.6, that page is the one to read.
| Kachha biswa | Acres | Kanal | Marla | Hectares | Square metres |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.010417 | 0.0833 | 1.67 | 0.004215 | 42.15 |
| 6 | 0.0625 | 0.5 | 10 | 0.025293 | 252.93 |
| 12 | 0.125 | 1 | 20 | 0.050586 | 505.86 |
| 24 | 0.25 | 2 | 40 | 0.101171 | 1,011.71 |
| 48 | 0.5 | 4 | 80 | 0.202343 | 2,023.43 |
| 96 | 1 | 8 | 160 | 0.404686 | 4,046.86 |
| 192 | 2 | 16 | 320 | 0.809371 | 8,093.71 |
| 288 | 3 | 24 | 480 | 1.214057 | 12,140.57 |
| 480 | 5 | 40 | 800 | 2.023428 | 20,234.28 |
| 960 | 10 | 80 | 1,600 | 4.046856 | 40,468.56 |
The kanal and marla columns are the ones a Punjab reader needs; the hectare column is what a digitised record will show. Every acre, kanal and square-metre figure in this table is exact, the recurring problem lives only in gaj.
Coming from a metric figure, which is increasingly what a computerised fard displays: a hectare is 237.221166 kachha biswas, which is 19.768431 kanal or 395.3686 marla, and a single kachha biswa is 0.004215475 hectare. None of those is round, and none can be, because hectares are built on the metre and this unit on the acre. Multiply once, from the hectare, and round at the end.
| Unit | 1 kachha biswa = | 1 kanal = | Terminates? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square inch | 65,340 | 784,080 | Yes |
| Square centimetre | 421,547.544 | 5,058,570.528 | Yes |
| Square kilometre | 0.0000421547544 | 0.0005058570528 | Yes |
| Square mile | 0.000016276041667… | 0.0001953125 | No |
The kanal column is included because a fard states kanal, and these units are wanted per kanal more often than per biswa.
One row does not terminate, and it is the same story as everywhere else on this page. A square mile is 640 acres and a kachha biswa a ninety-sixth of one, so the ratio is 1⁄61440, and 61,440 carries a 3. The kanal, at 1⁄5120, has no 3 in it and stops cleanly. Even here, the figure that recurs is the one with the three in it.
1. Taking a "biswa" figure without asking which measure. This is a factor of three and it is the largest error available on this page. Twenty biswas is 9,075 square feet on the kachha measure and 27,225 on the pucca, the difference between a large plot and a small field. It is the one mistake here that cannot be recovered by careful arithmetic afterwards, because both answers are internally consistent. One question settles it; the question is above.
2. Converting through gaj. A kachha biswa in square yards recurs, so any gaj figure is already rounded before you multiply it by anything, and the error grows with the number you multiply it by. On a single biswa it is invisible. Across a few acres of an acquisition it is not, which is presumably why the High Court's own acre figure is exact and its biswa figure is not. Convert through square feet or through the acre and leave gaj until the end, if you need it at all.
3. Writing "biswa kacha" into a document. The phrase appears in no instrument, so a lawyer, a registrar or a court reading it has to guess what you meant. Write the square-foot figure, or the kanal-and-marla figure, and describe the measure as ninety-six biswas to the acre if you must name it.
How many square feet is 1 biswa kacha? 453.75 square feet, exactly one ninety-sixth of an acre, exactly 42.1547544 square metres, and exactly five-thirds of a marla. In square yards it is 50.41666…, a figure that recurs and cannot be written in full.
Is "biswa kacha" a real unit name? The measure is real; the name is not one any document uses. Kachha is an adjective meaning rough or short, and Indian revenue practice attaches it to whichever unit is being discussed (a kachha bigha, a kachha karam, a kachha biswa) to say which surveyor's rod was used. The documents say "biswa". We found no instrument using the compound as a term of art.
How many kachha biswa in a kanal, a marla and an acre? Twelve to the kanal, and a marla is 0.6 of one, so five-thirds of a marla makes a kachha biswa. Ninety-six make an acre. All three are exact, because all four units are simple fractions of the acre.
How do I tell whether my document is pucca or kachha? Ask how many biswas make an acre. Ninety-six is kachha and this page applies. Thirty-two is pucca and the Biswa page applies. Do not infer it from the district, both measures appear across the same belt, and in at least one district the record and the deed are deliberately in different measures.
Why does every source give a different figure in gaj? Because the true figure cannot be written down. A kachha biswa is 605⁄12 square yards, which is 50.41666… recurring, so every published gaj value is a rounding of it. Including the Punjab and Haryana High Court's 50.41666. There is no correct short form. Convert through square feet or the acre instead.
How many kachha biswa in a kachha bigha? Twenty, exactly: 9,075 square feet, which the High Court states as 1008.3333 square yards. That figure recurs too.
Is it the same as the Himachal biswa of 435.6 square feet? No, and the two are easy to confuse: 435.6 is four per cent below the kachha biswa. The 435.6 figure is also, on our searches, unsourced. The Biswa page sets out why.
What does the Punjab and Haryana High Court actually say? In Greater Mohali Area Development Authority v. Hardip Kaur Gill, decided 25 February 2025: "the area of 20 biswansis or 1 biswa is 50.41666 square yards, whereas 20 biswas or 1 bigha is 1008.3333 square yards. 96 biswas (4 bighas 16 biswas) is equivalent to 1 acre land measuring 4840 square yards." It is the fullest statement of this chain by any Indian court we located.
| Statement | Source |
|---|---|
| The biswa chain in full, with square-yard and acre equivalents | Punjab & Haryana High Court, Greater Mohali Area Development Authority v. Hardip Kaur Gill, 25 February 2025 |
| The case's scope, appeals, acreage, villages, year | Same judgment |
| "2 biswa 9 biswansi i.e. 373.77 square yards" | Punjab & Haryana High Court, Samay Singh v. Mona Yadav, 12 April 2019, cited only as a caution |
| "0 Biswa 15 Biswansi (2400 Square Yards)" | Punjab & Haryana High Court, Chamkaur Singh v. State of Punjab, 19 February 2020, cited only as a caution |
| Biswa and square-yard figures describing different parcels | Punjab & Haryana High Court, Sewa Singh v. State of Haryana, 10 November 2008, recorded as a non-source |
| The pucca measure, its attestation, the factor of three | The Biswa page |
| Kanal, marla, sarsahi sizes | Their own pages here |
| 1 yard = 0.9144 m exactly, from which 453.75 sq ft = 42.1547544 m² | 24 FR 5348, National Bureau of Standards notice, effective 1 July 1959 |
Nothing here was computed in floating point. Two definitions are stored (the acre at 43,560 square feet and the international foot at 0.3048 metre), and every figure on the page is derived from them as a ratio of whole numbers.
The checking script does three things worth naming. It tests which figures terminate rather than accepting the page's claims: the last column of that table is computed by stripping factors of two and five from each denominator, so a mislabelled recurring value fails the check. It re-derives the Court's three conversions from its own words against the exact values, which is how the difference column was produced. And it blocks the Biswa page's findings, the Himachal material, the attestation argument and the karam derivation are named in it and refused here.
This page and the Biswa page describe one family and divide it by subject. That page asks which biswa values any authority states, and answers that two of the four in circulation are attested; the Himachal question, the factor-of-three argument and the biswa's older meaning as a village share belong there. This page takes the Punjab measure alone, its place in the kanal system, the Court that states it, and the arithmetic problem in its gaj figure. Where it needs the other's material it links rather than repeating.
| Conversion | 1 Biswa Kacha | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Acre | 0.010417 | Recurring; Exact by definition: 43,560 sq ft = 4,840 sq yd |
| Ankanam | 6.302083 (Standard) | Region-specific; also 12.604167 (Tirupati) |
| Ares | 0.421547544 | Exact; 100 m², the metric are |
| Bigha | 0.020833 (Punjab / west Haryana) | Region-specific; also 0.016667 (UP pucca / Bihar / Rajasthan pucca) · 0.05 (UP kachha (6⅔ biswa)) · 0.066667 (UP kachha (5 biswa) / Uttarakhand hills) |
| Biswa | 1 (Punjab / Haryana old records) | Region-specific; also 0.333333 (UP / Rajasthan pucca) · 0.520833 (Rajasthan kachha) · 1.041667 (Himachal Pradesh) |
| Cent | 1.041667 | Recurring; One hundredth of an acre, exactly |
| Chatak | 10.083333 | Recurring; 5 sq yd exactly; 16 to the cottah, 968 to the acre. Reported, not stated by any instrument located |
| Decimal | 1.041667 | Recurring; One hundredth of an acre, exactly |
| Dhur | 6.666667 (Bihar / Jharkhand (Patna chain)) | Region-specific; also 126.041667 (Tripura) |
| Dismil | 1.041667 | Recurring; The decimal under another name |
| Gaj | 50.416667 | Recurring; The square yard, 9 sq ft |
| Gajam | 50.416667 | Recurring; The square yard in Telugu, 9 sq ft |
| Ground | 0.1890625 | Exact; Tamil Nadu Urban Land Tax Act 1966, s.2(8-A): "an area comprising two hundred and twenty three square metres (two thousand and four hundred square feet)" |
| Guntha | 0.416667 | Recurring; 121 sq yd; 40 guntha = 1 acre exactly |
| Hectare | 0.00421547544 | Exact; 10,000 m² exactly |
| Kanal | 0.083333 (Standard (66-inch karam)) | Region-specific; also 0.100833 (Majha belt (60-inch karam)) · 0.109792 (Doaba belt (57.5-inch karam)) · 0.124486 (Kapurthala belt (54-inch karam)) |
| Katha | 0.333333 (Bihar state standard) | Region-specific; also 0.630208 (West Bengal / Jharkhand) · 0.157552 (Assam) · 0.260417 (Bihar (Chhapra)) |
| Killa | 0.010417 | Recurring; The acre under its Punjabi name |
| Lessa | 3.151042 | Recurring; The 12-foot mauzadari jar squared (Assam Land Records Manual r.117); 20 to a katha, 100 to a bigha |
| Marla | 1.666667 (Standard (66-inch karam)) | Region-specific; also 2.016667 (Majha belt (60-inch karam)) · 2.195841 (Doaba belt (57.5-inch karam)) · 2.489712 (Kapurthala belt (54-inch karam)) |
| Murabba | 0.000417 (Punjab canal colony) | Region-specific; also 0.000667 (Rajasthan (Indira Gandhi Canal)) |
| Nali | 0.210069 | Recurring; 240 sq yd; 16 mutthi of 135 sq ft. No instrument located states the figure |
| Perch | 1.666667 | Recurring; 30.25 sq yd; 160 perches = 1 acre |
| Pura | 0.007878 | Recurring; 4 Assam bigha of 14,400 sq ft. The 4:1 ratio is SOURCED -- the Supreme Court states it in 1961 and 1971 and the Gauhati High Court in 1986, 2023, 2024 and 2026 -- but no instrument, judgment or manual states the square-foot figure, which is derived from the Assam bigha |
| Square Centimeter | 421,547.544 | Exact; One ten-thousandth of a square metre |
| Square Feet | 453.75 | Exact; The base of this series |
| Square Inch | 65,340 | Exact; One 144th of a square foot |
| Square Karam | 15 (Standard (66-inch karam)) | Region-specific; also 18.15 (Majha belt (60-inch karam)) · 19.762571 (Doaba belt (57.5-inch karam)) · 22.407407 (Kapurthala belt (54-inch karam)) |
| Square Kilometer | 0.0000421547544 | Exact; 1,000,000 m² |
| Square Meter | 42.1547544 | Exact; The SI unit of area |
| Square Mile | 0.0000163 | Recurring; Standards of Weights and Measures Act 1976, Schedule (see s.79): "1 square mile = 2 589 988.110 336 square metres"; 640 acres exactly |
| Square Yard | 50.416667 | Recurring; 9 sq ft exactly |
1 biswa kacha = 0.010417 acres, recurring. An acre is exact by definition: 43,560 sq ft = 4,840 sq yd.
Computed on the Punjab / Haryana revenue biswa kacha of 453.75 square feet, one of 2 definitions this series carries for this unit.
Acre = Biswa Kacha ÷ 96
| Biswa Kacha | Acre |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.010417 |
| 2 | 0.020833 |
| 3 | 0.03125 |
| 5 | 0.052083 |
| 10 | 0.104167 |
| 20 | 0.208333 |
| 50 | 0.520833 |
| 100 | 1.041667 |
| 200 | 2.083333 |
| 500 | 5.208333 |
| 1,000 | 10.416667 |
5 biswa kacha ÷ 96 = 0.052083 acres
Biswa Kacha = Acre × 96
1 biswa kacha = 0.020833 bigha on the Punjab / west Haryana definition. The bigha has no single national value. It is also 0.016667 (UP pucca / Bihar / Rajasthan pucca) · 0.05 (UP kachha (6⅔ biswa)) · 0.066667 (UP kachha (5 biswa) / Uttarakhand hills) and 5 more per biswa kacha. Every definition this series has located is set out with the evidence behind it.
Computed on the Punjab / Haryana revenue biswa kacha of 453.75 square feet, one of 2 definitions this series carries for this unit.
Bigha = Biswa Kacha ÷ 48 (Punjab / west Haryana)
| Biswa Kacha | Bigha (Punjab / west Haryana) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.020833 |
| 2 | 0.041667 |
| 3 | 0.0625 |
| 5 | 0.104167 |
| 10 | 0.208333 |
| 20 | 0.416667 |
| 50 | 1.041667 |
| 100 | 2.083333 |
| 200 | 4.166667 |
| 500 | 10.416667 |
| 1,000 | 20.833333 |
| Bigha definition | Where it applies | 1 bigha in sq ft | Bigha per biswa kacha | Terminates? | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UP pucca / Bihar / Rajasthan pucca | Purvanchal, Awadh, Patna belt, east Rajasthan | 27,225 | 0.016667 | Recurring | sourced |
| UP kachha (6⅔ biswa) | West Uttar Pradesh | 9,075 | 0.05 | Exact | sourced |
| UP kachha (5 biswa) / Uttarakhand hills | West UP, Kumaon and Garhwal hills | 6,806.25 | 0.066667 | Recurring | sourced |
| Rajasthan kachha / Gujarat vigha / Uttarakhand Terai | Marwar, Gujarat, Terai | 17,424 | 0.026042 | Recurring | sourced |
| Madhya Pradesh | Madhya Pradesh | 12,000 | 0.0378125 | Exact | reported, not sourced |
| West Bengal / Assam / Jharkhand | West Bengal, Assam, Ranchi | 14,400 | 0.03151 | Recurring | sourced |
| Himachal Pradesh / Haryana Rohtak belt | Himachal Pradesh, Rohtak, Hisar | 8,712 | 0.052083 | Recurring | sourced |
| Punjab / west Haryana (the definition used here) | Punjab, kanal belt of Haryana | 21,780 | 0.020833 | Recurring | sourced |
| Haryana Ambala belt | Ambala, Gurugram, Faridabad, Karnal, Panipat | 8,100 | 0.056019 | Recurring | sourced |
Not every definition above rests on an instrument. 1 of the 9 are marked reported or no instrument located: in circulation and internally consistent, but this series could not find a rule, manual or judgment stating them. What was searched for each is recorded with that unit. Terminates? answers only whether the ratio has a finite decimal, not whether the figure behind it is verified.
To convert against one of the other definitions, multiply by its factor.
5 biswa kacha ÷ 48 = 0.104167 bigha
Biswa Kacha = Bigha × 48 (Punjab / west Haryana)
Biswa Kacha = Bigha × 60 (UP pucca / Bihar / Rajasthan pucca)
Biswa Kacha = Bigha × 20 (UP kachha (6⅔ biswa))
Biswa Kacha = Bigha × 15 (UP kachha (5 biswa) / Uttarakhand hills)
Biswa Kacha = Bigha × 38.4 (Rajasthan kachha / Gujarat vigha / Uttarakhand Terai)
Biswa Kacha = Bigha ÷ 0.0378125 (Madhya Pradesh)
Biswa Kacha = Bigha × 3,840/121 (West Bengal / Assam / Jharkhand)
Biswa Kacha = Bigha × 19.2 (Himachal Pradesh / Haryana Rohtak belt)
Biswa Kacha = Bigha × 2,160/121 (Haryana Ambala belt)
1 biswa kacha = 1 biswa on the Punjab / Haryana old records definition. The biswa has no single national value. It is also 0.333333 (UP / Rajasthan pucca) · 0.520833 (Rajasthan kachha) · 1.041667 (Himachal Pradesh) per biswa kacha. Every definition this series has located is set out with the evidence behind it.
Computed on the Punjab / Haryana revenue biswa kacha of 453.75 square feet, one of 2 definitions this series carries for this unit.
Biswa kacha is the smaller of the two biswas, and the naming is the problem: kachha means the customary measure and pucca the standard one, so the same word describes different sizes in different districts. This series reports both readings rather than choosing one.
One biswa kacha and one biswa are the same area. The two words name one quantity, so no arithmetic is involved.
Biswa = Biswa Kacha × 1 (Punjab / Haryana old records)
On this definition the two are one area of 453.75 square feet, so any quantity of biswa kacha is the same quantity of biswa, and the ladder would read 1 to 1 the whole way down.
| Biswa definition | Where it applies | 1 biswa in sq ft | Biswa per biswa kacha | Terminates? | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UP / Rajasthan pucca | Uttar Pradesh, east Rajasthan | 1,361.25 | 0.333333 | Recurring | sourced |
| Rajasthan kachha | Marwar | 871.2 | 0.520833 | Recurring | no instrument located |
| Punjab / Haryana old records (the definition used here) | Punjab, Haryana | 453.75 | 1 | Exact | sourced |
| Himachal Pradesh | Himachal Pradesh | 435.6 | 1.041667 | Recurring | no instrument located |
Not every definition above rests on an instrument. 2 of the 4 are marked reported or no instrument located: in circulation and internally consistent, but this series could not find a rule, manual or judgment stating them. What was searched for each is recorded with that unit. Terminates? answers only whether the ratio has a finite decimal, not whether the figure behind it is verified.
| Biswa Kacha | Biswa (1,361.25 sq ft) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.333333 |
| 2 | 0.666667 |
| 3 | 1 |
| 5 | 1.666667 |
| 10 | 3.333333 |
| 20 | 6.666667 |
| 50 | 16.666667 |
| 100 | 33.333333 |
| 200 | 66.666667 |
| 500 | 166.666667 |
| 1,000 | 333.333333 |
| Biswa Kacha | Biswa (871.2 sq ft) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.520833 |
| 2 | 1.041667 |
| 3 | 1.5625 |
| 5 | 2.604167 |
| 10 | 5.208333 |
| 20 | 10.416667 |
| 50 | 26.041667 |
| 100 | 52.083333 |
| 200 | 104.166667 |
| 500 | 260.416667 |
| 1,000 | 520.833333 |
| Biswa Kacha | Biswa (435.6 sq ft) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1.041667 |
| 2 | 2.083333 |
| 3 | 3.125 |
| 5 | 5.208333 |
| 10 | 10.416667 |
| 20 | 20.833333 |
| 50 | 52.083333 |
| 100 | 104.166667 |
| 200 | 208.333333 |
| 500 | 520.833333 |
| 1,000 | 1,041.666667 |
5 biswa kacha × 1 = 5 biswa
Biswa Kacha = Biswa × 1 (Punjab / Haryana old records)
Biswa Kacha = Biswa × 3 (UP / Rajasthan pucca)
Biswa Kacha = Biswa × 1.92 (Rajasthan kachha)
Biswa Kacha = Biswa × 0.96 (Himachal Pradesh)
1 biswa kacha = 6.666667 dhur on the Bihar / Jharkhand (Patna chain) definition. The dhur has no single national value. It is also 126.041667 (Tripura) per biswa kacha. Every definition this series has located is set out with the evidence behind it.
Computed on the Punjab / Haryana revenue biswa kacha of 453.75 square feet, one of 2 definitions this series carries for this unit.
The ratio is the fraction 20/3, 6.66666667…, which recurs.
Dhur = Biswa Kacha ÷ 0.15 (Bihar / Jharkhand (Patna chain))
| Biswa Kacha | Dhur (Bihar / Jharkhand (Patna chain)) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 6.666667 |
| 2 | 13.333333 |
| 3 | 20 |
| 5 | 33.333333 |
| 10 | 66.666667 |
| 20 | 133.333333 |
| 50 | 333.333333 |
| 100 | 666.666667 |
| 200 | 1,333.333333 |
| 500 | 3,333.333333 |
| 1,000 | 6,666.666667 |
| Dhur definition | Where it applies | 1 dhur in sq ft | Dhur per biswa kacha | Terminates? | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bihar / Jharkhand (Patna chain) (the definition used here) | Patna belt, and Jharkhand districts counting in the Patna katha | 68.0625 | 6.666667 | Recurring | reported, not sourced |
| Tripura | Tripura | 3.6 | 126.041667 | Recurring | sourced |
Not every definition above rests on an instrument. 1 of the 2 are marked reported or no instrument located: in circulation and internally consistent, but this series could not find a rule, manual or judgment stating them. What was searched for each is recorded with that unit. Terminates? answers only whether the ratio has a finite decimal, not whether the figure behind it is verified.
To convert against one of the other definitions, multiply by its factor.
5 biswa kacha ÷ 0.15 = 33.333333 dhur
Biswa Kacha = Dhur × 0.15 (Bihar / Jharkhand (Patna chain))
Biswa Kacha = Dhur × 24/3,025 (Tripura)
1 biswa kacha = 50.416667 gaj, recurring. A gaj is the square yard, 9 sq ft.
Computed on the Punjab / Haryana revenue biswa kacha of 453.75 square feet, one of 2 definitions this series carries for this unit.
The ratio is the fraction 605/12, 50.41666667…, which recurs.
Gaj = Biswa Kacha × 605/12
| Biswa Kacha | Gaj |
|---|---|
| 1 | 50.416667 |
| 2 | 100.833333 |
| 3 | 151.25 |
| 5 | 252.083333 |
| 10 | 504.166667 |
| 20 | 1,008.333333 |
| 50 | 2,520.833333 |
| 100 | 5,041.666667 |
| 200 | 10,083.333333 |
| 500 | 25,208.333333 |
| 1,000 | 50,416.666667 |
5 biswa kacha × 605/12 = 252.083333 gaj
Biswa Kacha = Gaj × 12/605
1 biswa kacha = 0.00421547544 hectares, exact. A hectare is 10,000 m² exactly.
Computed on the Punjab / Haryana revenue biswa kacha of 453.75 square feet, one of 2 definitions this series carries for this unit.
The ratio is the fraction 52,693,443/12,500,000,000, or 0.00421547544 exactly.
Hectare = Biswa Kacha × 0.00421547544
| Biswa Kacha | Hectare |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.00421547544 |
| 2 | 0.00843095088 |
| 3 | 0.01264642632 |
| 5 | 0.0210773772 |
| 10 | 0.0421547544 |
| 20 | 0.0843095088 |
| 50 | 0.210773772 |
| 100 | 0.421547544 |
| 200 | 0.843095088 |
| 500 | 2.10773772 |
| 1,000 | 4.21547544 |
5 biswa kacha × 0.00421547544 = 0.0210773772 hectares
Biswa Kacha = Hectare ÷ 0.00421547544
1 biswa kacha = 0.083333 kanal on the Standard (66-inch karam) definition. The kanal has no single national value. It is also 0.100833 (Majha belt (60-inch karam)) · 0.109792 (Doaba belt (57.5-inch karam)) · 0.124486 (Kapurthala belt (54-inch karam)) per biswa kacha. Every definition this series has located is set out with the evidence behind it.
Computed on the Punjab / Haryana revenue biswa kacha of 453.75 square feet, one of 2 definitions this series carries for this unit.
Kanal = Biswa Kacha ÷ 12 (Standard (66-inch karam))
| Biswa Kacha | Kanal (Standard (66-inch karam)) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.083333 |
| 2 | 0.166667 |
| 3 | 0.25 |
| 5 | 0.416667 |
| 10 | 0.833333 |
| 20 | 1.666667 |
| 50 | 4.166667 |
| 100 | 8.333333 |
| 200 | 16.666667 |
| 500 | 41.666667 |
| 1,000 | 83.333333 |
| Kanal definition | Where it applies | 1 kanal in sq ft | Kanal per biswa kacha | Terminates? | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (66-inch karam) (the definition used here) | Most of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, J&K | 5,445 | 0.083333 | Recurring | sourced |
| Majha belt (60-inch karam) | Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran | 4,500 | 0.100833 | Recurring | reported, not sourced |
| Doaba belt (57.5-inch karam) | Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur, and Kangra in Himachal | 4,132.8125 | 0.109792 | Recurring | reported, not sourced |
| Kapurthala belt (54-inch karam) | Parts of Kapurthala | 3,645 | 0.124486 | Recurring | reported, not sourced |
Not every definition above rests on an instrument. 3 of the 4 are marked reported or no instrument located: in circulation and internally consistent, but this series could not find a rule, manual or judgment stating them. What was searched for each is recorded with that unit. Terminates? answers only whether the ratio has a finite decimal, not whether the figure behind it is verified.
| Biswa Kacha | Kanal (4,500 sq ft) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.100833 |
| 2 | 0.201667 |
| 3 | 0.3025 |
| 5 | 0.504167 |
| 10 | 1.008333 |
| 20 | 2.016667 |
| 50 | 5.041667 |
| 100 | 10.083333 |
| 200 | 20.166667 |
| 500 | 50.416667 |
| 1,000 | 100.833333 |
| Biswa Kacha | Kanal (4,132.8125 sq ft) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.109792 |
| 2 | 0.219584 |
| 3 | 0.329376 |
| 5 | 0.54896 |
| 10 | 1.097921 |
| 20 | 2.195841 |
| 50 | 5.489603 |
| 100 | 10.979206 |
| 200 | 21.958412 |
| 500 | 54.89603 |
| 1,000 | 109.79206 |
| Biswa Kacha | Kanal (3,645 sq ft) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.124486 |
| 2 | 0.248971 |
| 3 | 0.373457 |
| 5 | 0.622428 |
| 10 | 1.244856 |
| 20 | 2.489712 |
| 50 | 6.22428 |
| 100 | 12.44856 |
| 200 | 24.897119 |
| 500 | 62.242798 |
| 1,000 | 124.485597 |
5 biswa kacha ÷ 12 = 0.416667 kanal
Biswa Kacha = Kanal × 12 (Standard (66-inch karam))
Biswa Kacha = Kanal × 1,200/121 (Majha belt (60-inch karam))
Biswa Kacha = Kanal × 13,225/1,452 (Doaba belt (57.5-inch karam))
Biswa Kacha = Kanal × 972/121 (Kapurthala belt (54-inch karam))
1 biswa kacha = 0.333333 katha on the Bihar state standard definition. The katha has no single national value. It is also 0.630208 (West Bengal / Jharkhand) · 0.157552 (Assam) · 0.260417 (Bihar (Chhapra)) and 2 more per biswa kacha. Every definition this series has located is set out with the evidence behind it.
Computed on the Punjab / Haryana revenue biswa kacha of 453.75 square feet, one of 2 definitions this series carries for this unit.
Katha = Biswa Kacha ÷ 3 (Bihar state standard)
1,361.25 square feet either way, so the Biswa Kacha to Biswa, UP / Rajasthan pucca figures apply unchanged. What differs between the two is the record each word belongs to, not the size.
| Katha definition | Where it applies | 1 katha in sq ft | Katha per biswa kacha | Terminates? | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bihar state standard (the definition used here) | Patna, Arrah | 1,361.25 | 0.333333 | Recurring | sourced |
| West Bengal / Jharkhand | Rural West Bengal, Ranchi | 720 | 0.630208 | Recurring | sourced |
| Assam | Assam (except Barak Valley) | 2,880 | 0.157552 | Recurring | sourced |
| Bihar (Chhapra) | Saran | 1,742.4 | 0.260417 | Recurring | sourced |
| Bihar (Hajipur) | Vaishali | 1,901.25 | 0.238659 | Recurring | sourced |
| Bihar (Bettiah) | West Champaran | 3,267 | 0.138889 | Recurring | sourced |
To convert against one of the other definitions, multiply by its factor.
5 biswa kacha ÷ 3 = 1.666667 katha
Biswa Kacha = Katha × 3 (Bihar state standard)
Biswa Kacha = Katha × 192/121 (West Bengal / Jharkhand)
Biswa Kacha = Katha × 768/121 (Assam)
Biswa Kacha = Katha × 3.84 (Bihar (Chhapra))
Biswa Kacha = Katha × 507/121 (Bihar (Hajipur))
Biswa Kacha = Katha × 7.2 (Bihar (Bettiah))
1 biswa kacha = 1.666667 marla on the Standard (66-inch karam) definition. The marla has no single national value. It is also 2.016667 (Majha belt (60-inch karam)) · 2.195841 (Doaba belt (57.5-inch karam)) · 2.489712 (Kapurthala belt (54-inch karam)) and 1 more per biswa kacha. Every definition this series has located is set out with the evidence behind it.
Computed on the Punjab / Haryana revenue biswa kacha of 453.75 square feet, one of 2 definitions this series carries for this unit.
The ratio is the fraction 5/3, 1.66666667…, which recurs.
Marla = Biswa Kacha ÷ 0.6 (Standard (66-inch karam))
| Biswa Kacha | Marla (Standard (66-inch karam)) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1.666667 |
| 2 | 3.333333 |
| 3 | 5 |
| 5 | 8.333333 |
| 10 | 16.666667 |
| 20 | 33.333333 |
| 50 | 83.333333 |
| 100 | 166.666667 |
| 200 | 333.333333 |
| 500 | 833.333333 |
| 1,000 | 1,666.666667 |
| Marla definition | Where it applies | 1 marla in sq ft | Marla per biswa kacha | Terminates? | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (66-inch karam) (the definition used here) | Most of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, J&K | 272.25 | 1.666667 | Recurring | sourced |
| Majha belt (60-inch karam) | Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran | 225 | 2.016667 | Recurring | reported, not sourced |
| Doaba belt (57.5-inch karam) | Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur, and Kangra in Himachal | 206.640625 | 2.195841 | Recurring | reported, not sourced |
| Kapurthala belt (54-inch karam) | Parts of Kapurthala | 182.25 | 2.489712 | Recurring | reported, not sourced |
| HSVP urban estate | Haryana urban estates | 225 | 2.016667 | Recurring | sourced |
Not every definition above rests on an instrument. 3 of the 5 are marked reported or no instrument located: in circulation and internally consistent, but this series could not find a rule, manual or judgment stating them. What was searched for each is recorded with that unit. Terminates? answers only whether the ratio has a finite decimal, not whether the figure behind it is verified.
To convert against one of the other definitions, multiply by its factor.
5 biswa kacha ÷ 0.6 = 8.333333 marla
Biswa Kacha = Marla × 0.6 (Standard (66-inch karam))
Biswa Kacha = Marla × 60/121 (Majha belt (60-inch karam))
Biswa Kacha = Marla × 2,645/5,808 (Doaba belt (57.5-inch karam))
Biswa Kacha = Marla × 243/605 (Kapurthala belt (54-inch karam))
Biswa Kacha = Marla × 60/121 (HSVP urban estate)
1 biswa kacha = 0.000417 murabba on the Punjab canal colony definition. The murabba has no single national value. It is also 0.000667 (Rajasthan (Indira Gandhi Canal)) per biswa kacha. Every definition this series has located is set out with the evidence behind it.
Computed on the Punjab / Haryana revenue biswa kacha of 453.75 square feet, one of 2 definitions this series carries for this unit.
Murabba = Biswa Kacha ÷ 2,400 (Punjab canal colony)
| Biswa Kacha | Murabba (Punjab canal colony) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.000417 |
| 2 | 0.000833 |
| 3 | 0.00125 |
| 5 | 0.002083 |
| 10 | 0.004167 |
| 20 | 0.008333 |
| 50 | 0.020833 |
| 100 | 0.041667 |
| 200 | 0.083333 |
| 500 | 0.208333 |
| 1,000 | 0.416667 |
| Murabba definition | Where it applies | 1 murabba in sq ft | Murabba per biswa kacha | Terminates? | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punjab canal colony (the definition used here) | Punjab, Haryana canal colonies | 1,089,000 | 0.000417 | Recurring | reported, not sourced |
| Rajasthan (Indira Gandhi Canal) | Sri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Bikaner, Jaisalmer | 680,625 | 0.000667 | Recurring | sourced |
Not every definition above rests on an instrument. 1 of the 2 are marked reported or no instrument located: in circulation and internally consistent, but this series could not find a rule, manual or judgment stating them. What was searched for each is recorded with that unit. Terminates? answers only whether the ratio has a finite decimal, not whether the figure behind it is verified.
| Biswa Kacha | Murabba (680,625 sq ft) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.000667 |
| 2 | 0.001333 |
| 3 | 0.002 |
| 5 | 0.003333 |
| 10 | 0.006667 |
| 20 | 0.013333 |
| 50 | 0.033333 |
| 100 | 0.066667 |
| 200 | 0.133333 |
| 500 | 0.333333 |
| 1,000 | 0.666667 |
5 biswa kacha ÷ 2,400 = 0.002083 murabba
Biswa Kacha = Murabba × 2,400 (Punjab canal colony)
Biswa Kacha = Murabba × 1,500 (Rajasthan (Indira Gandhi Canal))
1 biswa kacha = 453.75 square feet, exact. A square foot is the base of this series.
Computed on the Punjab / Haryana revenue biswa kacha of 453.75 square feet, one of 2 definitions this series carries for this unit.
453.75 square feet on the Punjab and Haryana revenue reading, fifteen square karam, exactly 1/96 of an acre.
The ratio is the fraction 1,815/4, or 453.75 exactly.
Square Feet = Biswa Kacha × 453.75
| Biswa Kacha | Square Feet |
|---|---|
| 1 | 453.75 |
| 2 | 907.5 |
| 3 | 1,361.25 |
| 5 | 2,268.75 |
| 10 | 4,537.5 |
| 20 | 9,075 |
| 50 | 22,687.5 |
| 100 | 45,375 |
| 200 | 90,750 |
| 500 | 226,875 |
| 1,000 | 453,750 |
5 biswa kacha × 453.75 = 2,268.75 square feet
Biswa Kacha = Square Feet ÷ 453.75
1 biswa kacha = 15 square karam on the Standard (66-inch karam) definition. The square karam has no single national value. It is also 18.15 (Majha belt (60-inch karam)) · 19.762571 (Doaba belt (57.5-inch karam)) · 22.407407 (Kapurthala belt (54-inch karam)) per biswa kacha. Every definition this series has located is set out with the evidence behind it.
Computed on the Punjab / Haryana revenue biswa kacha of 453.75 square feet, one of 2 definitions this series carries for this unit.
Square Karam = Biswa Kacha × 15 (Standard (66-inch karam))
| Biswa Kacha | Square Karam (Standard (66-inch karam)) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 15 |
| 2 | 30 |
| 3 | 45 |
| 5 | 75 |
| 10 | 150 |
| 20 | 300 |
| 50 | 750 |
| 100 | 1,500 |
| 200 | 3,000 |
| 500 | 7,500 |
| 1,000 | 15,000 |
| Square Karam definition | Where it applies | 1 square karam in sq ft | Square Karam per biswa kacha | Terminates? | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (66-inch karam) (the definition used here) | Most of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, J&K | 30.25 | 15 | Exact | sourced |
| Majha belt (60-inch karam) | Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran | 25 | 18.15 | Exact | reported, not sourced |
| Doaba belt (57.5-inch karam) | Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur, and Kangra in Himachal | 22.960069 | 19.762571 | Recurring | reported, not sourced |
| Kapurthala belt (54-inch karam) | Parts of Kapurthala | 20.25 | 22.407407 | Recurring | reported, not sourced |
Not every definition above rests on an instrument. 3 of the 4 are marked reported or no instrument located: in circulation and internally consistent, but this series could not find a rule, manual or judgment stating them. What was searched for each is recorded with that unit. Terminates? answers only whether the ratio has a finite decimal, not whether the figure behind it is verified.
| Biswa Kacha | Square Karam (25 sq ft) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 18.15 |
| 2 | 36.3 |
| 3 | 54.45 |
| 5 | 90.75 |
| 10 | 181.5 |
| 20 | 363 |
| 50 | 907.5 |
| 100 | 1,815 |
| 200 | 3,630 |
| 500 | 9,075 |
| 1,000 | 18,150 |
| Biswa Kacha | Square Karam (22.960069 sq ft) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 19.762571 |
| 2 | 39.525142 |
| 3 | 59.287713 |
| 5 | 98.812854 |
| 10 | 197.625709 |
| 20 | 395.251418 |
| 50 | 988.128544 |
| 100 | 1,976.257089 |
| 200 | 3,952.514178 |
| 500 | 9,881.285444 |
| 1,000 | 19,762.570888 |
| Biswa Kacha | Square Karam (20.25 sq ft) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 22.407407 |
| 2 | 44.814815 |
| 3 | 67.222222 |
| 5 | 112.037037 |
| 10 | 224.074074 |
| 20 | 448.148148 |
| 50 | 1,120.37037 |
| 100 | 2,240.740741 |
| 200 | 4,481.481481 |
| 500 | 11,203.703704 |
| 1,000 | 22,407.407407 |
5 biswa kacha × 15 = 75 square karam
Biswa Kacha = Square Karam ÷ 15 (Standard (66-inch karam))
Biswa Kacha = Square Karam ÷ 18.15 (Majha belt (60-inch karam))
Biswa Kacha = Square Karam × 2,645/52,272 (Doaba belt (57.5-inch karam))
Biswa Kacha = Square Karam × 27/605 (Kapurthala belt (54-inch karam))
1 biswa kacha = 42.1547544 square metres, exact. A square metre is the SI unit of area.
Computed on the Punjab / Haryana revenue biswa kacha of 453.75 square feet, one of 2 definitions this series carries for this unit.
The ratio is the fraction 52,693,443/1,250,000, or 42.1547544 exactly.
Square Meter = Biswa Kacha × 42.1547544
| Biswa Kacha | Square Meter |
|---|---|
| 1 | 42.1547544 |
| 2 | 84.3095088 |
| 3 | 126.4642632 |
| 5 | 210.773772 |
| 10 | 421.547544 |
| 20 | 843.095088 |
| 50 | 2,107.73772 |
| 100 | 4,215.47544 |
| 200 | 8,430.95088 |
| 500 | 21,077.3772 |
| 1,000 | 42,154.7544 |
5 biswa kacha × 42.1547544 = 210.773772 square metres
Biswa Kacha = Square Meter ÷ 42.1547544
Exactness of the method is not exactness of the result: where a ratio does not terminate, the table says so and the formula gives the fraction.
1 biswa kacha = 6.302083 ankanam on the Standard definition; 12.604167 on the Tirupati definition. Ankanam = Biswa Kacha × 605/96 (Standard) · reverse Biswa Kacha = Ankanam × 96/605
| Biswa Kacha | Ankanam (Standard) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 6.302083 |
| 2 | 12.604167 |
| 3 | 18.90625 |
| 5 | 31.510417 |
| 10 | 63.020833 |
| 20 | 126.041667 |
| 50 | 315.104167 |
| 100 | 630.208333 |
| 200 | 1,260.416667 |
| 500 | 3,151.041667 |
| 1,000 | 6,302.083333 |
Every definition as a factor. Multiply biswa kacha by the figure shown.
| Ankanam definition | Where | Ankanam per biswa kacha |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (the definition used here) | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, parts of Karnataka | 6.302083 |
| Tirupati | Tirupati and parts of Chittoor | 12.604167 |
1 biswa kacha = 0.421547544 ares (exact). Ares = Biswa Kacha × 0.421547544 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Ares ÷ 0.421547544
| Biswa Kacha | Ares |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.421547544 |
| 2 | 0.843095088 |
| 3 | 1.264642632 |
| 5 | 2.10773772 |
| 10 | 4.21547544 |
| 20 | 8.43095088 |
| 50 | 21.0773772 |
| 100 | 42.1547544 |
| 200 | 84.3095088 |
| 500 | 210.773772 |
| 1,000 | 421.547544 |
1 biswa kacha = 1.041667 cent (recurring). Cent = Biswa Kacha ÷ 0.96 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Cent × 0.96
435.6 square feet either way, so the Biswa Kacha to Biswa, Himachal Pradesh figures apply unchanged. What differs between the two is the record each word belongs to, not the size.
1 biswa kacha = 10.083333 chatak (recurring). Chatak = Biswa Kacha × 121/12 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Chatak × 12/121
| Biswa Kacha | Chatak |
|---|---|
| 1 | 10.083333 |
| 2 | 20.166667 |
| 3 | 30.25 |
| 5 | 50.416667 |
| 10 | 100.833333 |
| 20 | 201.666667 |
| 50 | 504.166667 |
| 100 | 1,008.333333 |
| 200 | 2,016.666667 |
| 500 | 5,041.666667 |
| 1,000 | 10,083.333333 |
1 biswa kacha = 0.1890625 ground (exact). Ground = Biswa Kacha × 0.1890625 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Ground ÷ 0.1890625
| Biswa Kacha | Ground |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.1890625 |
| 2 | 0.378125 |
| 3 | 0.5671875 |
| 5 | 0.9453125 |
| 10 | 1.890625 |
| 20 | 3.78125 |
| 50 | 9.453125 |
| 100 | 18.90625 |
| 200 | 37.8125 |
| 500 | 94.53125 |
| 1,000 | 189.0625 |
1 biswa kacha = 0.416667 guntha (recurring). Guntha = Biswa Kacha ÷ 2.4 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Guntha × 2.4
| Biswa Kacha | Guntha |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.416667 |
| 2 | 0.833333 |
| 3 | 1.25 |
| 5 | 2.083333 |
| 10 | 4.166667 |
| 20 | 8.333333 |
| 50 | 20.833333 |
| 100 | 41.666667 |
| 200 | 83.333333 |
| 500 | 208.333333 |
| 1,000 | 416.666667 |
1 biswa kacha = 3.151042 lessa (recurring). Lessa = Biswa Kacha × 605/192 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Lessa × 192/605
| Biswa Kacha | Lessa |
|---|---|
| 1 | 3.151042 |
| 2 | 6.302083 |
| 3 | 9.453125 |
| 5 | 15.755208 |
| 10 | 31.510417 |
| 20 | 63.020833 |
| 50 | 157.552083 |
| 100 | 315.104167 |
| 200 | 630.208333 |
| 500 | 1,575.520833 |
| 1,000 | 3,151.041667 |
1 biswa kacha = 0.210069 nali (recurring). Nali = Biswa Kacha × 121/576 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Nali × 576/121
| Biswa Kacha | Nali |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.210069 |
| 2 | 0.420139 |
| 3 | 0.630208 |
| 5 | 1.050347 |
| 10 | 2.100694 |
| 20 | 4.201389 |
| 50 | 10.503472 |
| 100 | 21.006944 |
| 200 | 42.013889 |
| 500 | 105.034722 |
| 1,000 | 210.069444 |
1 biswa kacha = 0.007878 pura (recurring). Pura = Biswa Kacha × 121/15,360 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Pura × 15,360/121
| Biswa Kacha | Pura |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.007878 |
| 2 | 0.015755 |
| 3 | 0.0236328125 |
| 5 | 0.039388 |
| 10 | 0.078776 |
| 20 | 0.157552 |
| 50 | 0.39388 |
| 100 | 0.78776 |
| 200 | 1.575521 |
| 500 | 3.938802 |
| 1,000 | 7.877604 |
1 biswa kacha = 421,547.544 square centimeter (exact). Square Centimeter = Biswa Kacha × 421,547.544 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Square Centimeter ÷ 421,547.544
| Biswa Kacha | Square Centimeter |
|---|---|
| 1 | 421,547.544 |
| 2 | 843,095.088 |
| 3 | 1,264,642.632 |
| 5 | 2,107,737.72 |
| 10 | 4,215,475.44 |
| 20 | 8,430,950.88 |
| 50 | 21,077,377.2 |
| 100 | 42,154,754.4 |
| 200 | 84,309,508.8 |
| 500 | 210,773,772 |
| 1,000 | 421,547,544 |
1 biswa kacha = 65,340 square inch (exact). Square Inch = Biswa Kacha × 65,340 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Square Inch ÷ 65,340
| Biswa Kacha | Square Inch |
|---|---|
| 1 | 65,340 |
| 2 | 130,680 |
| 3 | 196,020 |
| 5 | 326,700 |
| 10 | 653,400 |
| 20 | 1,306,800 |
| 50 | 3,267,000 |
| 100 | 6,534,000 |
| 200 | 13,068,000 |
| 500 | 32,670,000 |
| 1,000 | 65,340,000 |
1 biswa kacha = 0.0000421547544 square kilometer (exact). Square Kilometer = Biswa Kacha × 0.0000421547544 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Square Kilometer ÷ 0.0000421547544
| Biswa Kacha | Square Kilometer |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.0000421547544 |
| 2 | 0.0000843095088 |
| 3 | 0.0001264642632 |
| 5 | 0.000210773772 |
| 10 | 0.000421547544 |
| 20 | 0.000843095088 |
| 50 | 0.00210773772 |
| 100 | 0.00421547544 |
| 200 | 0.00843095088 |
| 500 | 0.0210773772 |
| 1,000 | 0.0421547544 |
1 biswa kacha = 0.0000163 square mile (recurring). Square Mile = Biswa Kacha ÷ 61,440 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Square Mile × 61,440
| Biswa Kacha | Square Mile |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.0000163 |
| 2 | 0.0000326 |
| 3 | 0.000048828125 |
| 5 | 0.0000814 |
| 10 | 0.000163 |
| 20 | 0.000326 |
| 50 | 0.000814 |
| 100 | 0.001628 |
| 200 | 0.003255 |
| 500 | 0.008138 |
| 1,000 | 0.016276 |
Six of the thirty-two units are two names for one area with another, so their figures are identical to the last digit.
1 biswa kacha = 1.041667 decimal. A decimal and a cent are the same area, 435.6 square feet, so any Biswa Kacha figure converts to the same number of either. Decimal = Biswa Kacha ÷ 0.96 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Decimal × 0.96
1 biswa kacha = 1.041667 dismil. A dismil and a cent are the same area, 435.6 square feet, so any Biswa Kacha figure converts to the same number of either. Dismil = Biswa Kacha ÷ 0.96 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Dismil × 0.96
1 biswa kacha = 50.416667 gajam. A gajam and a gaj are the same area, 9 square feet, so any Biswa Kacha figure converts to the same number of either. Gajam = Biswa Kacha × 605/12 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Gajam × 12/605
1 biswa kacha = 0.010417 killa. A killa and an acre are the same area, 43,560 square feet, so any Biswa Kacha figure converts to the same number of either. Killa = Biswa Kacha ÷ 96 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Killa × 96
1 biswa kacha = 1.666667 perches. A perch and a marla are the same area, 272.25 square feet, so any Biswa Kacha figure converts to the same number of either. Perch = Biswa Kacha ÷ 0.6 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Perch × 0.6
1 biswa kacha = 50.416667 square yards. A square yard and a gaj are the same area, 9 square feet, so any Biswa Kacha figure converts to the same number of either. Square Yard = Biswa Kacha × 605/12 · reverse Biswa Kacha = Square Yard × 12/605
The tables above are arithmetic, and for a biswa kacha the arithmetic is the easy half. What decides whether the figure you started with is the right one to convert at all is "Biswa Kacha" Is Not a Unit Name.
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