Nepal measures land in two traditional systems at once, and every land document you will ever sign uses them. Understanding the units is the first step to buying or selling with confidence.
The hill system
Used across the Kathmandu valley and the hills:
- 1 ropani = 16 aana = 5,476 square feet
- 1 aana = 4 paisa = 342.25 square feet
- 1 paisa = 4 dam = 85.56 square feet
Land documents write areas as a chain: 0-8-2-1 means 0 ropani, 8 aana, 2 paisa, 1 dam. When someone says "an eight-aana plot," that is about 2,738 square feet — a standard family-house plot in the valley.
The Terai system
In the plains, land is measured in bigha, kattha, and dhur:
- 1 bigha = 20 kattha = 72,900 square feet
- 1 kattha = 20 dhur = 3,645 square feet
- 1 dhur = 182.25 square feet
A bigha is more than thirteen ropani — the systems are wildly different scales, which is exactly why conversions cause so many disputes.
Three mistakes to avoid
- Trusting a verbal area. The area that matters is the one on the lalpurja (ownership certificate), and even that should be verified by an actual survey before money changes hands — plots on the ground are often smaller than plots on paper.
- Comparing prices across units. A "cheaper" price per kattha can be more expensive than a price per aana. Always convert both to square feet before comparing. Our land unit converter does it instantly.
- Ignoring the road setback. Part of your plot may fall inside a road expansion line, which you legally cannot build on. Check the alignment before you buy, not after.
Buying land for a future home? We survey, verify, and plan plots every week — get in touch before you commit.