Katha, Bigha and Shotok: The Land Conversions You Actually Need
The seller quotes katha, the deed says shotok, and your uncle says bigha. Here are the conversions, a full table, and the regional differences that catch people out.
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.
The four numbers to remember: 1 bigha = 20 katha. 1 katha = 720 sq ft. 1 shotok (decimal) = 435.6 sq ft. 1 acre = 100 shotok.
Land unit converter
Enter any amount and see it in every other unit.
Convert any land measurement
Kani, gonda and kora vary by district. These use the Chattogram-region values.
You know the numbers — but is the plot actually that size? A converter can only do arithmetic. To find out the real area of a specific piece of land, you have to measure it. Area and Plot Measurement lets you tap the corners on a satellite map and calculates the area for you — no walking the boundary, no surveyor needed for a first estimate.
Quick answers
The conversions people ask for most, in both directions:
- 1 bigha = 20 katha
- 1 bigha = 33.06 shotok (about 33 decimal)
- 1 bigha = 14,400 sq ft
- 1 bigha = 0.83 kani
- 1 katha = 720 sq ft
- 1 katha = 1.65 shotok
- 1 katha = 0.05 bigha
- 1 shotok = 435.6 sq ft
- 1 shotok = 0.605 katha
- 1 shotok = 0.03 bigha
- 1 kani = 40 shotok = 24.2 katha
- 1 acre = 100 shotok = 3.025 bigha = 60.5 katha
Common amounts
Because people rarely ask about exactly one unit:
| Amount | In bigha | In shotok | In sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 katha | 0.25 | 8.26 | 3,600 |
| 10 katha | 0.5 | 16.53 | 7,200 |
| 20 katha | 1 | 33.06 | 14,400 |
| 100 katha | 5 | 165.3 | 72,000 |
| 10 shotok | 0.3 | 10 | 4,356 |
| 50 shotok | 1.51 | 50 | 21,780 |
| 1 kani | 1.21 | 40 | 17,424 |
The full conversion table
Read across the row to convert one unit into all the others.
| 1 unit of | Square feet | Katha | Shotok | Bigha | Kani | Acre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kora | 217.8 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.015 | 0.0125 | 0.005 |
| Gonda | 871.2 | 1.21 | 2 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.02 |
| Katha | 720 | 1 | 1.65 | 0.05 | 0.041 | 0.017 |
| Shotok (decimal) | 435.6 | 0.605 | 1 | 0.03 | 0.025 | 0.01 |
| Bigha | 14,400 | 20 | 33.06 | 1 | 0.826 | 0.331 |
| Kani | 17,424 | 24.2 | 40 | 1.21 | 1 | 0.4 |
| Acre | 43,560 | 60.5 | 100 | 3.025 | 2.5 | 1 |
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.
Kani, gonda and kora
These come up constantly in Chattogram, Noakhali and Cumilla, and almost never in Dhaka. If your document uses them, here is the chain:
- 1 kani = 20 gonda
- 1 gonda = 4 kora
- 1 kora = 3 kranti
In shotok terms: 1 kani = 40 shotok, 1 gonda = 2 shotok, 1 kora = 0.5 shotok.
So a plot listed as 2 kani 10 gonda is 80 + 20 = 100 shotok, which is exactly 1 acre, or about 3 bigha.
The kani is the one to be careful with. Forty shotok is the common Chattogram figure, but some districts work to a different kani entirely. Never assume it across regions.
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.
Warning: these numbers are not universal
This is where people get hurt, so read this part.
The tables above are 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, kani and gonda shift between districts, and older records 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 is 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, on the measurement you just took.
- 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 kani = 40 shotok. 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.
Two follow-ons if you are actually buying: how to measure a plot yourself, and what it means when your measurement is smaller than the deed says.
Frequently asked questions
1 bigha koto katha? (How many katha in one bigha?)
One bigha is 20 katha in Bangladesh and West Bengal. That is 14,400 square feet, about 33.06 shotok, or 1.21 kani.
1 bigha koto kani? (How many kani in one bigha?)
One bigha is about 0.83 kani, using the Chattogram-region kani of 40 shotok. Put the other way round, one kani is 1.21 bigha — roughly 24.2 katha or 17,424 square feet. The kani varies between districts, so confirm the local value.
How do I convert shotok to bigha?
Divide the shotok by 33.06. So 33 shotok is almost exactly 1 bigha, 50 shotok is 1.51 bigha, and 100 shotok is 3.025 bigha. Going the other way, multiply bigha by 33.06 to get shotok.
How much is 100 katha in bigha?
100 katha is exactly 5 bigha, because 20 katha make one bigha. It is also 165.3 shotok, or 72,000 square feet.
1 katha koto square feet?
One katha is 720 square feet in Bangladesh and West Bengal. It is also 1.65 shotok, or one twentieth of a bigha. Note that katha means a different size in Bihar, where it is around 1,361 square feet.
What is the difference between shotok and decimal?
They are the same unit. Shotok, also written shotangsho, is one hundredth of an acre — 435.6 square feet. Land documents usually print it as decimal, so if your porcha says 13 decimal, that is 13 shotok.
What are gonda and kora?
Sub-units of the kani, used mainly in Chattogram, Noakhali and Cumilla. One kani is 20 gonda, one gonda is 4 kora, and one kora is 3 kranti. In shotok: one gonda is 2 shotok and one kora is half a shotok.
How do I calculate the area of an irregular plot?
Multiplying length by width only works for rectangles. For an irregular plot you need every corner. The practical method is to mark each corner on a satellite map and let the app calculate the enclosed area, which handles any number of sides.
Are these conversions the same everywhere?
No, and this is the most common source of disputes. The figures here are standard for Bangladesh and West Bengal. In Bihar a katha is nearly double, bigha varies widely across Uttar Pradesh, and kani shifts between Bangladeshi districts. Always confirm the local definition before agreeing a price.