science

Katha (unit)

Katha (unit) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Katha (unit) rather than just read about it. In short: Katha or Biswa (also spelled kattha or cottah; Hindi: कट्ठा, Assamese: কঠা, Bengali: কাঠা) is a unit of area mostly used for land measurement in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. After metrication in the mid-20th century by these countries, the unit became officially obsolete.

Key takeaways

Katha (unit) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Katha (unit) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Katha (unit) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Katha or Biswa (also spelled kattha or cottah; Hindi: कट्ठा, Assamese: কঠা, Bengali: কাঠা) is a unit of area mostly used for land measurement in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. After metrication in the mid-20th century by these countries, the unit became officially obsolete. But this unit is still in use in much of Bangladesh, Northern India, Eastern India and Nepal. The measurement of katha varies significantly from place to place.

Bangladesh In Bangladesh, one katha is standardized to 720 square feet (67 m2), and 20 katha equals 1 bigha.

1 Katha (কাঠা) = 720 sq. feet = 66.88 sq. metre = 1.652 Decimal (শতাংশ/ শতক) 1 Bigha (বিঘা) = 20 Katha (কাঠা) = 14,400 square feet = 1,338 sq m = 1,600 sq yard 1 Acre (একর) = 3.025 Bigha (বিঘা) = 60.5 Katha (কাঠা) = 4,047 square metre 1 Hectare (হেক্টর) = 2.47 Acre (একর) = 7.475 Bigha (বিঘা) = 149.5 Katha (কাঠা) 1 Katha (কাঠা)= 16 Chattak (ছটাক)

India

Assam In Assam, 1 Katha is equal to 2,880 ft2 and 1 Bigha = 5 Katha; 1 bigha = 14,400 ft2 and in lower assam such as cachar it is 720 square feet.

Bihar In Bihar, one Katha may vary from 720 to 3,267 square feet (ft2). 1 Bigha = 20 Katha. One katha is divided in 20 dhur. One dhur is subdivided in 20 dhurki. The origin of the term and measurement unit was during the Pala Empire. 1 Decimal = 435.6 square feet & 1 Acre = 100 decimal.

In Patna & Arrah, 1 Katha is equal to 1,361.25 ft2 or 3.125 decimal. 1 Hectare = 3.95 bigha = 79 Katha 1 Acre = 1.6 bigha = 32 Katha 1 Bigha = 27,225 ft2 = 20 Katha 1 Katha = 1,361.25 ft2 = 20 dhur (Patna) 1 Dhur = 68.0625 ft2 = 20 Dhurki In Bettiah, 1 Katha = 7.5 decimal = 3,267 ft2 and 1 bigha = 65,340 ft2 In Chhapra, 1 Katha = 4 decimal = 1,742.4 ft2 and 1 bigha = 34,848.0 ft2 In Hajipur, 1 Katha = 1,901.25 ft2 and 1 Bigha = 38,025 ft2.

Jharkhand In Jharkhand, 1 Katha ranges from 720 to 2535 square feet. In Ranchi, 1 Katha is equal to 720 ft2. 1 bigha is equal to 20 Katha; 1 bigha = 14,400 ft2.

Punjab In Punjab and Haryana, Katha is known as Biswa. 1 Bigha = 20 Biswa and 1 Biswa = 20 Biswansi.

1 Acre = 2 bigha = 4,840 square yard 1 Bigha = 2,420 square yard 1 biswa = 121 square yard 1 biswansi = 6.05 square yard

Uttar Pradesh In Uttar Pradesh, Katha is also known as Biswa. One Katha is equal to 1,361.25 ft2 or 151.25 square yard or 126.46 square metre. One Bigha in UP can range from 5 to 20 Katha. In Western UP, 1 Bigha can be 5.0 Katha (756.25 square yard) or 6.6667 Katha (1,008.33 square yard). In Eastern UP, 1 Bigha is 20 Katha (3,025 square yard).

1 Katha or 1 Biswa = 20 Dhur or 20 Biswansi 1 Dhur = 1 Biswansi 1 Dhur = 20 Dhurki 1 Katha = 3.125 Decimal 1 Acre = 100 Decimal 1 Acre = 32 Katha In Purvanchal, 1 Katha = 1,361.25 square feet (126.464 m2) or 151.25 square yard. One Bigha is made up of 5 to 20 Katha. Katha is divided into 20 Dhur and Dhur is subdivided into 20 Dhurki.

West Bengal In West Bengal, 1 Katha is equal to 720 ft2. 1 bigha is equal to 20 Katha; 1 bigha = 14,400 ft2. 1 Acre = 3.025 Bigha, 1 katha= 16 chatak, 1 chatak=45 sq.ft

Nepal

In Nepal, 1 Katha is equivalent to 338.55 m2 With Manoj Chhetri

See also List of customary units of measurement in South Asia Nepalese customary units of measurement

References

"Katha". [Sizes, grades, units, scales, calendars, chronologies]. Retrieved 2007-02-19.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Katha (unit)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Katha (unit) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Katha (unit) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Katha (unit) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Katha (unit)

In research: Katha (unit) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Katha (unit) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Katha (unit) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Customary units of area in India, Obsolete units of measurement, Unit of measurement stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Katha (unit) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Katha (unit) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Katha (unit) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Katha (unit) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Katha (unit) in simple terms?

Why does Katha (unit) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Katha (unit)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Katha (unit).