Traditional units of measurement in Nepal
South Asia · 9 documented units · reviewed 2026-07-31
Quick answer
Nepal uses two parallel land systems: ropani–aana in the hills and bigha–kattha–dhur in the Terai. 1 ropani = 508.72 m²; 1 bigha = 6,772.63 m².
How measurement works in Nepal
Nepali land measurement is not one system but two, split by geography. Hill districts including Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara and most of the mid-hills register land in ropani, aana, paisa and daam. The Terai plains bordering India register the same kind of land in bigha, kattha and dhur, inherited from the North Indian revenue system.
Both systems remain legally operative. Land Revenue Offices issue lalpurja (ownership certificates) in whichever unit the district uses, so a single transaction can involve a hill figure in ropani and a plains figure in bigha with no official conversion printed on either document.
Precious-metal trade runs on a third system. Gold and silver are quoted per tola (11.66375 g) in Nepali jewellery markets, matching Indian and Pakistani practice, while bulk agricultural produce still moves in seer and maund in rural markets.
area units of Nepal
| Unit | Value in SI | Typical use | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ropani | 1 Ropani = 508.737 square metre | agriculture | Ropani → square metresIn-depth guide |
| Bigha | 1 Bigha = 2,508.38 square metre | agriculture, surveying | Bigha → square metresIn-depth guide |
| Kattha/Katha | 1 Kattha/Katha = 125.419 square metre | agriculture | Kattha/Katha → square metresIn-depth guide |
| Dhur | 1 Dhur = 16.929 square metre | agriculture | Dhur → square metresIn-depth guide |
mass units of Nepal
| Unit | Value in SI | Typical use | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tola | 1 Tola = 0.01166375 kilogram | jewellery, precious-metals | Tola → kilogramsIn-depth guide |
| Seer | 1 Seer = 0.9331 kilogram | trade, general | Seer → kilogramsIn-depth guide |
| Maund | 1 Maund = 37.3242 kilogram | trade, agriculture | Maund → kilogramsIn-depth guide |
length units of Nepal
| Unit | Value in SI | Typical use | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hath (Cubit) | 1 Hath (Cubit) = 0.4572 metre | textiles | Hath (Cubit) → metresIn-depth guide |
| Gaz (Yard) | 1 Gaz (Yard) = 0.9144 metre | textiles, surveying | Gaz (Yard) → metresIn-depth guide |
Units that vary within Nepal
- Bigha — reported range: 1,600–6,772 m²
Before you convert
- Ropani and bigha are never interchangeable shorthand for "a plot" — confirm which district registered the parcel before converting.
- Terai kattha in Nepal (338.63 m²) is not the same as kattha in Bihar or Bengal; the sub-division of the bigha differs by jurisdiction.
- Older lalpurja may quote area in ropani-aana-paisa-daam as a four-part figure; each level is a quarter-step subdivision, not a decimal.
Sources
- Nepal Land (Survey and Measurement) Act, 2019 BS
- Department of Land Management and Archive, Government of Nepal
See our methodology and data provenance pages, or review published corrections.