Katha, Bigha and Shotok: The Land Conversions You Actually Need

Someone quotes you a price for 8 katha. The deed says 13 shotok. Your uncle says it is roughly half a bigha.

Are those the same piece of land? You need the conversions to know.

Quick answers

The conversions people ask for most:

• 1 bigha = 20 katha
• 1 bigha = 33.06 shotok (about 33 decimal)
• 1 bigha = 14,400 sq ft
• 1 katha = 720 sq ft
• 1 katha = 1.65 shotok
• 1 shotok = 435.6 sq ft
• 1 shotok = 0.605 katha
• 1 acre = 100 shotok = 3.025 bigha = 60.5 katha

The full conversion table

Read across the row to convert one unit into all the others.

So back to the example. 8 katha is 13.2 shotok, and 0.4 bigha. The deed and the seller are describing the same land. The uncle rounded up.

What each unit actually is

Shotok — also written shotangsho, and printed as decimal on most land documents. One shotok is one hundredth of an acre. This is what you will see on your porcha or khatian, so it is the unit that matters legally.

Katha — the everyday unit for house plots. Sellers quote in katha because it is a comfortable size to picture: 720 sq ft, roughly a small flat.

Bigha — 20 katha. Used for farmland and larger plots.

Kani — mainly Chattogram and nearby. 40 shotok.

Gonda — an older sub-unit still used in some records, usually 2 shotok. If your document uses it, check locally before trusting a converter.

Warning: these numbers are not universal

This is where people get hurt, so read this part.

The table above is standard for Bangladesh and West Bengal. Elsewhere the same words mean different amounts.

• In Bihar, one katha is around 1,361 sq ft — nearly double the Bangladesh katha.
• In parts of Uttar Pradesh, a bigha can be under 7,000 sq ft or over 27,000, depending on the district.
• Even inside Bangladesh, older records sometimes use local variants.

Before money changes hands, confirm the local definition. A converter is for estimating. The deed, the mouza map and the local land office are what settle it.

Working out the area of a plot

Conversions only help once you know the size. Two ways to get it.

If you know the dimensions

For a rectangle, multiply length by width in feet, then divide:

• ÷ 720 for katha
• ÷ 435.6 for shotok
• ÷ 14,400 for bigha

A plot 60 ft × 48 ft = 2,880 sq ft = 4 katha = 6.6 shotok.

Most land is not a neat rectangle, though. Irregular plots need every corner measured, and that is where hand arithmetic stops working.

If you only know where it is

You do not have to walk the boundary with a tape. Open a satellite map, tap each corner of the plot, and the area can be calculated from those points.

That works for irregular shapes, for land you cannot easily walk, and for checking a claim before you visit.

Doing it on your phone

I built Area and Plot Measurement for exactly this.

What it does:

• Tap the corners on a satellite map and it draws the boundary and calculates the area as you go. No walking the perimeter.
• Or enter dimensions — rectangle, triangle, or a polygon with any number of sides for irregular plots.
• Converts between katha, bigha, shotok, acre and square feet instantly. Enter one, see them all.
• Saves your measurements with a name and notes, so you can compare plots later.
• Backs up to your Google account, so a lost phone does not lose your records.
• Full Bangla and English interface. Switch any time from the menu.

What to keep in mind:

• Android only. No iPhone version.
• Map accuracy depends on your tapping. Place the corners carefully and it is fine for buying, dividing or checking a plot. It is not a legal survey.
• For anything that goes on a document, use a licensed surveyor and the mouza map. Use the app to know roughly what you are dealing with before you get there.

The short version

1 bigha = 20 katha = 33 shotok = 14,400 sq ft. 1 acre = 100 shotok = 3 bigha. Confirm the local definition before you pay for anything.

Area and Plot Measurement is free on Google Play if you would rather tap a map than do the arithmetic.