In Punjab's revenue units 1 bigha is 4 kanal, which is half an acre (21,780 sq ft or 2,420 sq yd). So 2 bigha make 1 acre and 10 bigha make 5 acres.
The bigha is not one size everywhere. Older records and neighbouring regions use a pakka bigha of 3,025 sq yd and a kacha bigha of about a third of that. Choose the size that your record uses, or type it in square feet.
Bigha sizes
| Bigha | Square feet | Square yards | Acres | Revenue kanal | Bigha per acre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punjab revenue bigha | 21,780 | 2,420 | 0.5 | 4 | 2 |
| Pakka bigha | 27,225 | 3,025 | 0.625 | 5 | 1.6 |
| Kacha bigha (a third of pakka) | 9,075 | 1,008.33 | 0.2083 | 1.67 | 4.8 |
Every bigha is divided into 20 biswa. So a Punjab biswa is 1,089 sq ft (4 marla), a pakka biswa is 1,361.25 sq ft and a kacha biswa is 453.75 sq ft.
Where each bigha comes from
Punjab revenue bigha: 4 kanal
In the Punjab chain of land units, 1 bigha = 4 kanal = 20 biswa = 80 marla, and 2 bigha make an acre (killa). On the revenue marla of 272.25 sq ft this is 21,780 sq ft. This is the default in the converter.
Pakka and kacha bigha
The Ambala District Gazetteer of 1883-84 describes a pakka bigha of 3,025 sq yd used in government records, and a kacha bigha of one third of it, which in practice varied from about 850 to 1,000 sq yd. The Punjab Land Records Manual (Indian Punjab) lists district bighas that differ because the karam used to measure them differed, from 57 to 66 inches. The pakka bigha of 27,225 sq ft is also the standard bigha of Rajasthan.
Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan
We have not found an official bigha for these provinces. If a document there uses bigha, ask the patwari or tapedar for its size in square feet and choose "Other size" above.
Worked example: 5 pakka bigha
An old mutation records 5 bigha on the pakka scale.
- Square feet: 5 × 27,225 = 136,125 sq ft
- Acres: 136,125 ÷ 43,560 = 3.125 acres
- Revenue kanal: 136,125 ÷ 5,445 = 25 kanal
If the same 5 bigha were Punjab revenue bigha, it would be only 2.5 acres (20 kanal). That is a difference of 0.625 acres, which is why the size must be confirmed before any sale.
Bigha in other places
People searching for bigha often have family land records from across the border or relatives abroad. For reference, the bigha is standardised at 14,400 sq ft in West Bengal and Assam and at 8,712 sq ft (a fifth of an acre) in Himachal Pradesh. Type these in the "Other size" box to convert them. For Pakistani farm land in acres and kanal, see acre to kanal. Very large holdings are often counted in murabba; see murabba to acre.
Bigha questions
How many acres is 1 bigha?
In Punjab's revenue units 1 bigha is half an acre, because 1 bigha is 4 kanal and 1 acre is 8 kanal. A pakka bigha of 3,025 sq yd is 0.625 acre, and a kacha bigha is about 0.21 acre. Check which one your record means.
How many kanal are in 1 bigha?
1 bigha is 4 kanal in the Punjab revenue chain, which is 80 marla or 21,780 sq ft. A pakka bigha works out to exactly 5 revenue kanal.
How many bigha are in 1 acre?
There are 2 Punjab revenue bigha in an acre. If the pakka bigha is used, 1 acre is 1.6 bigha; with the kacha bigha it is 4.8 bigha.
How many square feet are in a bigha?
A Punjab revenue bigha is 21,780 sq ft (2,420 sq yd). A pakka bigha is 27,225 sq ft (3,025 sq yd) and a kacha bigha about 9,075 sq ft. In West Bengal a bigha is 14,400 sq ft.
What is a biswa?
A biswa is one twentieth of a bigha. In Punjab revenue units it is 4 marla, 1,089 sq ft, and 5 biswa make a kanal. Pakka and kacha bighas have their own biswa, also a twentieth of the bigha.
Last reviewed 30 September 2026. Results are estimates; official notices always take precedence.