Haweli guide
Bigha, biswa and square metres: Himachal land units explained
Published · General information, not legal advice
Short answer
In most of Himachal Pradesh, 1 bigha = 20 biswa ≈ 809 square metres (8,712 sq ft), and 1 biswa ≈ 40.5 square metres (436 sq ft). Five bigha make about one acre.
Quick conversions
- 1 biswa ≈ 40.5 sq m ≈ 436 sq ft
- 5 biswa ≈ 202 sq m ≈ 2,178 sq ft
- 10 biswa (half a bigha) ≈ 405 sq m ≈ 4,356 sq ft
- 1 bigha ≈ 809 sq m ≈ 8,712 sq ft
- 5 bigha ≈ 1 acre ≈ 4,047 sq m
Why the 500 sq m limit matters
The Section 118 ceiling for a house is 500 square metres, which is about 12.4 biswa. If you are not an agriculturist, plan your purchase around that limit.
Always check the record
Local usage can differ, and older records sometimes use other units. Rely on the area recorded in the jamabandi and a fresh demarcation, not on a verbal estimate.