Indian land measurement units explained
An acre is 43,560 sq ft. It divides into 100 cents (435.6 sq ft each) or 40 guntha (1,089 sq ft each). A Chennai ground is 2,400 sq ft, and a hectare is 2.47105 acres.
The units at a glance
Land in India is bought and registered in several local units alongside the metric ones. The table gives the size of one of each unit using the standard definitions this site uses.
| Unit | Square feet | Square meters | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cent | 435.6 | 40.4686 | 0.01 |
| Guntha | 1,089 | 101.171 | 0.025 |
| Ground | 2,400 | 222.967 | 0.0550964 |
| Acre | 43,560 | 4,046.86 | 1 |
| Hectare | 107,639 | 10,000 | 2.47105 |
Where each unit is used
- Cent: common in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for house plots. One cent is one hundredth of an acre.
- Guntha (also written gunta): used in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Gujarat, especially for agricultural land. Forty guntha make an acre.
- Ground: used in and around Chennai for urban plots. One ground is 2,400 sq ft, a little over five cents.
- Acre and hectare: used everywhere for larger holdings. Government records increasingly use hectares and square meters.
Why bigha, kanal and marla are not listed
Bigha, biswa, kanal and marla are widely used in North and East India, but their size is set locally and differs between states and sometimes between districts. A converter that shows a single value for them would be wrong for many buyers.
For these units, read the size stated in your sale deed or land record, or ask the local revenue office, then convert that figure in square feet or square meters with the area converter.
Checking a plot size
Sale deeds often state an area in one unit and a survey plan in another. Convert both to square feet or square meters before comparing them; a small rounding difference is normal, a large one is worth querying before you pay.
Frequently asked questions
How many cents are in one guntha?
One guntha is 2.5 cents.
How many grounds make an acre?
One acre is about 18.15 grounds.
Is a cent the same in every state?
Yes. A cent is defined as one hundredth of an acre, 435.6 sq ft, wherever it is used.
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