Nepal Area & Land Unit Converter
Convert Kathmandu Valley & Hill units (Ropani, Aana, Paisa, Daam) and southern Terai units (Bigha, Kattha, Dhur) to Square Feet, Acres, and Square Meters.
The Two Official Land Measurement Systems of Nepal
Nepal features a distinct geographical dichotomy that directly shapes its cadastral surveying. Regulated by the Survey Department of Nepal (Napi Bibhag) and administered by local Land Revenue Offices (Malpot Karyalaya), Nepal legally recognizes two separate measurement frameworks across the country:
1. The Ropani System (Kathmandu Valley & Mountain / Hill Districts)
Applied throughout the Kathmandu Valley (Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur), Pokhara Valley, and the mid-hill districts (Kaski, Kavre, Dhading, etc.), this system reflects terrace farming and dense urban settlement:
- Daam: The smallest unit = 21.39 square feet (1.987 m²).
- Paisa: 4 Daam = 85.56 square feet (7.949 m²).
- Aana: 4 Paisa (16 Daam) = 342.25 square feet (31.796 m²). In urban Kathmandu, land transactions, banking collateral appraisals, and municipal building codes are quoted per Aana (e.g. 4 Aana house plots).
- Ropani: 16 Aanas = 64 Paisa = 256 Daam = 5,476 square feet (508.737 m² or approx 0.1257 acre). Exactly 7.9547 Ropanis equal 1 Acre.
2. The Bigha-Kattha System (Terai / Southern Plains)
In the fertile Gangetic plain corridor bordering India (including Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Saptari, Siraha, Dhanusha, Parsa/Birgunj, Chitwan, Rupandehi/Bhairahawa, and Banke/Nepalgunj), land is surveyed under the Terai Bigha system:
- Kanwa: 1/16th of a Dhur = 11.39 square feet.
- Dhur: 16 Kanwas = 182.25 square feet (20.25 Gaj or 16.93 m²).
- Kattha (Katthaa): 20 Dhur = 3,645 square feet (405 Gaj or 338.63 m²). Commercial and residential plots in Terai towns are sold by the Kattha and Dhur.
- Terai Bigha: Exactly 20 Kattha = 400 Dhur = 72,900 square feet (8,100 Gaj or 6,772.63 m² = 1.6736 Acres).
The Nepalese Terai Bigha (72,900 sq ft = 1.6736 Acres) is dramatically larger than Bighas found anywhere in India or Bangladesh. For example, 1 Terai Bigha equals 2.68 Uttar Pradesh Bighas (27,225 sq ft) and more than 5 West Bengal/Bangladesh Bighas (14,400 sq ft). Never confuse an Indian Bigha with a Nepalese Terai Bigha!
Nepal Land Measurement Conversion Tables
| Region & Unit | Equivalent in Sq Feet | Equivalent in Sq Metres | Subdivision Ratio | Acres per Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Daam (Hills) | 21.39 sq ft | 1.9873 m² | 1/4 Paisa | 0.000491 ac |
| 1 Paisa (Hills) | 85.56 sq ft | 7.9490 m² | 4 Daam (1/4 Aana) | 0.001964 ac |
| 1 Aana (Hills) | 342.25 sq ft | 31.7961 m² | 4 Paisa (1/16 Ropani) | 0.007857 ac |
| 1 Ropani (Hills) | 5,476.00 sq ft | 508.7370 m² | 16 Aana (64 Paisa) | 0.125712 ac |
| 1 Dhur (Terai) | 182.25 sq ft | 16.9316 m² | 1/20 Kattha | 0.004184 ac |
| 1 Kattha (Terai) | 3,645.00 sq ft | 338.6316 m² | 20 Dhur (1/20 Bigha) | 0.083678 ac |
| 1 Terai Bigha | 72,900.00 sq ft | 6,772.6316 m² | 20 Kattha (400 Dhur) | 1.673554 ac |
Original Worked Examples for Nepalese Land
Buying a 4-Aana Plot in Bhaisepati, Lalitpur
A family is purchasing a typical 4-Aana residential building lot in Lalitpur and needs the area in square feet and square meters.
Calculation: 4 × 342.25 = 1,369 sq ft
Sq Metres = 1,369 × 0.092903 = 127.18 m²
Result: 4 Aana equals 1,369 square feet (127.18 square meters).
Converting a 1.5-Kattha Plot in Bharatpur
A commercial builder in Bharatpur, Chitwan evaluates a 1.5-Kattha plot on the highway.
Calculation: 1.5 × 3,645 = 5,467.5 sq ft (607.5 Gaj)
In Dhur: 1.5 × 20 = 30 Dhurs
Result: 1.5 Kattha equals 5,467.5 square feet (30 Dhur or 507.9 square meters).
Converting 2 Terai Bighas to Acres
A tea plantation in Jhapa acquires 2 Terai Bighas of adjacent fertile land.
Acres = 145,800 ÷ 43,560 = 3.347 Acres
In Hectares: 145,800 × 0.092903 ÷ 10,000 = 1.354 ha
Result: 2 Terai Bighas equals approximately 3.35 Acres (1.35 hectares).
Converting 1 Ropani 4 Aanas to Square Feet
A resort developer in Pokhara verifies a title deed recording 1 Ropani and 4 Aanas.
4 Aana = 4 × 342.25 = 1,369 sq ft
Total = 5,476 + 1,369 = 6,845 sq ft (0.157 Acre)
Result: 1 Ropani 4 Aana equals 6,845 square feet (635.9 square meters).
Converting 2 Aana 3 Paisa 2 Daam
An inheritance division in Bhaktapur involves an ancestral plot of 2-3-2.
3 Paisa = 3 × 85.56 = 256.68 sq ft
2 Daam = 2 × 21.39 = 42.78 sq ft
Total = 684.5 + 256.68 + 42.78 = 983.96 sq ft
Result: 2 Aana 3 Paisa 2 Daam equals approximately 984 square feet.
Subdividing 10 Katthas into Dhurs
A factory in Biratnagar plans to build employee quarters on 10 Katthas.
Total Sq Ft = 10 × 3,645 = 36,450 sq ft (0.8367 Acre)
Result: 10 Katthas equals 200 Dhurs (36,450 square feet).