Ropani, Aana, Bigha, Kattha: Nepal Land Measurement Explained
A plain guide to Nepal's Hill and Terai land measurement systems — what a ropani, aana, bigha and kattha actually equal, and when each one is used.
If you are buying or selling land in Nepal, you will meet two completely different measurement systems — and which one applies depends entirely on where the land sits. Getting them confused is one of the most common and most expensive mistakes in a Nepali property transaction.
Two systems, split by geography
Nepal uses the Hill System in the hills and mountains, including the Kathmandu Valley, and the Terai System across the southern plains.
They do not overlap. A plot in Lalitpur is quoted in ropani and aana. A plot in Jhapa is quoted in bigha and kattha. If a listing mixes them, that is a signal to ask questions before anything else.
The Hill System: ropani, aana, paisa, dam
The hill units nest inside each other, each step dividing by four after the first:
| Unit | Equals | In square metres | In square feet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Ropani | 16 Aana | 508.72 | 5,476 |
| 1 Aana | 4 Paisa | 31.80 | 342.25 |
| 1 Paisa | 4 Dam | 7.95 | 85.56 |
| 1 Dam | — | 1.99 | 21.39 |
In practice, aana is the working unit in the Kathmandu Valley. Residential plots are commonly 2 to 8 aana, and prices are quoted per aana far more often than per ropani.
The Terai System: bigha, kattha, dhur
The plains units are considerably larger, which matches how land is used there — agricultural plots rather than valley housing.
| Unit | Equals | In square metres | In square feet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Bigha | 20 Kattha | 6,772.63 | 72,900 |
| 1 Kattha | 20 Dhur | 338.63 | 3,645 |
| 1 Dhur | — | 16.93 | 182.25 |
One bigha is roughly 13.3 ropani, which is why plains land is usually discussed in bigha while valley land almost never is.
Where people get caught out
Assuming aana and kattha are comparable. They are not close — one kattha is about 10.6 aana. A plot described as "4 kattha" is not remotely the same as "4 aana".
Converting through rounded numbers. Rounding a ropani to 500 square metres instead of 508.72 introduces a 1.7% error. On a plot worth NPR 2 crore, that is roughly NPR 3.4 lakh of value — well worth being precise about.
Trusting a quoted total without checking the parts. Land is often described as "1 ropani 4 aana 2 paisa". Add the components yourself rather than accepting a headline square-foot figure.
Ignoring what the land certificate says. The lalpurja is the authoritative record. Whatever a listing or a broker says, the certificate governs.
Converting between them
Both systems bridge through square metres, which is how any accurate conversion works — convert to square metres first, then out to the target unit.
You can do this directly with our Nepal land unit converter, which handles all the hill, terai and international units, or jump to a specific pair such as ropani to square feet, aana to square metre or bigha to ropani.
A quick reference
- 1 Ropani = 16 Aana = 64 Paisa = 256 Dam = 508.72 m²
- 1 Bigha = 20 Kattha = 400 Dhur = 6,772.63 m²
- 1 Bigha ≈ 13.31 Ropani
- 1 Kattha ≈ 10.65 Aana
When you are ready to see what land actually costs in a given area, browse land for sale across Nepal or narrow it to land for sale in Kathmandu.