Nali, muthi, bigha भूमि की माप
Hill land is quoted in nali (1 nali = 16 muthi ≈ 240 sq yd ≈ 200 sq m; about 20 nali to the acre). The plains use bigha and biswa. But the khatauni records hectares - so every deal involves a conversion. Do it here.
| Muthi (1/16 nali) | 16 |
| Bigha (UK plains, ~900 gaj) | 0.2667 |
| Biswa (45 gaj) | 5.3333 |
| Square metres | 200.7 |
| Square feet | 2,160 |
| Square yards (gaj) | 240 |
| Acres | 0.0496 |
| Hectares | 0.0201 |
Bigha size genuinely varies across Uttarakhand's plains (≈756-900 sq yd by district), and some Garhwal tehsils use a slightly different nali (2,025-2,250 sq ft). Always confirm against the hectare figure in the khatauni - that is the legal one.
Why 'muthi'?
A muthi is literally a handful of seed - the old hill measure was how much land one handful would sow. Sixteen handfuls made a nali (the seed vessel). It's a farming calendar's answer to measurement: practical, local, and confusing at the registrar's office 200 years later.
The one rule that matters
Whatever unit the deal is negotiated in, the khatauni's hectare figure is what legally counts. Before signing anything, convert the agreed nali/bigha to hectares and check it matches the record.