In West Bengal and Bangladesh one katha is 720 sq ft, a twentieth of the 14,400 sq ft bigha. Elsewhere the katha is a different size: 2,880 sq ft in Assam, where the bigha is split into only 5 katha; commonly 1,361.25 sq ft in Bihar, with district variations; and 3,645 sq ft for the kattha of Nepal’s Terai. The converter defaults to the 720 sq ft katha and the table lists the others.
Formula
Katha by region
The katha is not the same everywhere. Values below are documented regional definitions with their sources; your land records or local revenue office decide which one applies. More about the katha.
| Region | 1 katha in square feet | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| West Bengal | 720 | = 1/20 bigha = 80 sq yd = 720 sq ft · Russ Rowlett, How Many? A Dictionary of Units of Measurement (UNC Chapel Hill), “kattha” |
| Bangladesh | 720 | = 1/20 bigha = 720 sq ft ≈ 1.65 decimal · Russ Rowlett, How Many? A Dictionary of Units of Measurement (UNC Chapel Hill), “kattha” |
| Assam | 2,880 | = 1/5 bigha = 20 lessa = 2,880 sq ft · Wikipedia: Bigha (regional sections and their references) |
| Bihar (common standard) | 1,361.25 | = 1/20 of a 3,025 sq yd bigha = 1,361.25 sq ft = 20 dhur · Wikipedia: Bigha (regional sections and their references) |
| Nepal (Terai) | 3,645 | = 20 dhur = 1/20 bigha = 3,645 sq ft ≈ 338.63 m² · Government of Nepal, Department of Land Management and Records: land unit conversion table |
Katha to Square Feet conversion table (West Bengal)
| Katha | Square Feet |
|---|---|
| 0.25 katha | 180 ft² |
| 0.5 katha | 360 ft² |
| 1 katha | 720 ft² |
| 2 katha | 1,440 ft² |
| 3 katha | 2,160 ft² |
| 4 katha | 2,880 ft² |
| 5 katha | 3,600 ft² |
| 6 katha | 4,320 ft² |
| 7 katha | 5,040 ft² |
| 8 katha | 5,760 ft² |
| 9 katha | 6,480 ft² |
| 10 katha | 7,200 ft² |
| 15 katha | 10,800 ft² |
| 20 katha | 14,400 ft² |
| 25 katha | 18,000 ft² |
| 30 katha | 21,600 ft² |
| 40 katha | 28,800 ft² |
| 50 katha | 36,000 ft² |
| 60 katha | 43,200 ft² |
| 70 katha | 50,400 ft² |
| 75 katha | 54,000 ft² |
| 80 katha | 57,600 ft² |
| 90 katha | 64,800 ft² |
| 100 katha | 72,000 ft² |
| 250 katha | 180,000 ft² |
| 500 katha | 360,000 ft² |
| 1,000 katha | 720,000 ft² |
Where you’ll use it
House plots in Kolkata, Dhaka and towns across Bengal are bought and sold by the katha, while flats, building plans and municipal tax are calculated in square feet. A 3-katha plot in Kolkata is 2,160 sq ft. Buyers moving between Bengal, Assam and Bihar get caught out because the same word covers four very different sizes, from 720 to 3,645 sq ft.
Tip: A Bengal katha can also be checked with the Record of Rights, which normally gives area in decimals: one 720 sq ft katha is about 1.65 decimal. If the decimals and the katha figure disagree, the record is what counts.