Unit Converter
Length, weight, temperature, area, volume and Indian number scale. Includes the units that actually come up here, such as bigha, guntha, tola and lakh.
The Indian units, since most converters skip them
If you are dealing with property or gold in India, the units that matter are not the ones a generic converter offers.
Area, and the bigha problem
Bigha is the one to be careful with. It is not a standardised unit. It varies by state and sometimes by district, and the difference is not small.
| Region | One bigha is roughly |
|---|---|
| Gujarat and Rajasthan (pucca) | 2,529 square metres, about 0.625 acre |
| Uttar Pradesh (pucca) | 2,529 square metres |
| West Bengal | 1,337 square metres, about 0.33 acre |
| Bihar | 1,254 to 2,529 square metres depending on district |
This converter uses the pucca bigha of about 2,529 square metres, which is the Gujarat and Rajasthan figure. If you are transacting land, take the number from the local revenue record rather than from any converter, including this one. Bigha in a sale deed means whatever the local convention says it means.
Guntha, common in Gujarat and Maharashtra, is more stable at about 101 square metres, or 1,089 square feet. Gaj, the square yard, is the standard unit for plot sizes across much of north India and is exactly 9 square feet.
Tola, for gold
One tola is 11.66 grams. Gold in India is now quoted per 10 grams almost everywhere, which is close to but not the same as a tola. The gap is 1.66 grams, roughly 14 percent, which on any meaningful quantity of gold is a lot of money. If an older document or a family record is in tolas, convert it properly rather than treating it as 10 grams.
Lakh and crore
The Indian number system groups differently from the international one, which is why ₹1,00,00,000 has commas where a Western reader would not expect them.
- 1 lakh is 100,000, so 0.1 million
- 1 crore is 10,000,000, so 10 million
- 100 crore is 1 billion
- 1 arab is 1 billion
The conversion people get wrong most often is crore to million. One crore is 10 million, not 1 million. If a figure quoted in crore looks implausibly small when converted, that is usually the error.
Temperature is different
Every other conversion here is a multiplication, because the scales share a zero point. Temperature scales do not, so they need an offset as well.
Fahrenheit to Celsius: (F − 32) × 5 ÷ 9
Celsius to Kelvin: C + 273.15
This is why you cannot convert a temperature difference the same way as a temperature. A rise of 10 degrees Celsius is a rise of 18 degrees Fahrenheit, not 50. For differences, use the ratio only and drop the offset.
Precision
The conversion factors used here are the exact defined values where one exists. An inch is exactly 0.0254 metres and a pound is exactly 0.45359237 kilograms, both by international definition rather than by measurement. Traditional Indian units are approximations by nature, because they were never defined that precisely.
Common questions
How many square feet is one bigha?
It depends entirely on where you are. In Gujarat and Rajasthan a pucca bigha is about 27,225 square feet. In West Bengal it is about 14,400. This converter uses the pucca figure. For any actual land transaction, take the number from the local revenue record.
How many grams is a tola?
11.66 grams. Gold is now quoted per 10 grams in India, so a tola is about 16.6 percent more than a standard quote unit. On any real quantity that difference matters.
Is one crore equal to one million?
No. One crore is ten million. One million is ten lakh. This is the most common conversion error when Indian figures are quoted internationally.
Why can I not convert a temperature difference the same way?
Because the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales have different zero points. For a single temperature you apply the offset. For a difference between two temperatures you only apply the ratio, so 10 degrees Celsius of change equals 18 degrees Fahrenheit of change.
Which units are exact and which are approximate?
Imperial to metric conversions for length and weight are exact by international definition. Traditional Indian land units such as bigha and guntha are approximations, because they were regional customs rather than defined standards.