Reading Your Share from a Khatian: Anna-Gonda, Decimal Shares and a Free Calculator
A khatian rarely says "you own 12 decimals". It gives a share of the holding, written as a decimal like .500 or, in old records, in anna and gonda. This guide shows how to turn that share into land, with worked examples and a calculator, and what to do when the share does not match your deed.
- Owner's land = land of the khatian in each dag × owner's share, added up for all dags
- Modern khatians write shares as decimals; the whole holding is 1.000
- Old CS and SA records use anna: 16 anna = 1, 1 anna = 20 gonda, 1 gonda = 4 kora, 1 kora = 3 kranti
- A khatian share shows the record at survey time; later deeds and inheritance can change it
In this guide: How shares are written in a khatian · Anna, gonda, kora, kranti: converting an anna share to a decimal · The formula with worked examples · When the khatian share does not match your deed · Common mistakes when calculating a khatian share
The short answer
To find your land from a khatian, take the land that belongs to that khatian in each dag (not always the whole dag), multiply it by your share, and add up the results for all dags. In RS and BS khatians the share is a decimal, so .500 means half and .250 a quarter. In older CS and SA records the share is in anna: 16 anna is the whole, so 4 anna is a quarter (0.25). Convert anna-gonda to a decimal first. Example: a khatian holds 60 decimals in a dag and your share is .500, so your land there is 30 decimals.
How shares are written in a khatian
Every khatian lists its owners and a share (ongsho) for each. All the shares in one khatian add up to the whole holding.
- Decimal shares (RS, BS and mutation khatians): the whole is 1.000. A share of .500 is half, .250 a quarter, .333 one third (rounded). Three brothers with equal shares will each show .333 or .3333.
- Anna shares (CS and many SA khatians): the whole is 16 anna, written with old symbols for anna, gonda, kora and kranti. “8 anna” is half, “4 anna” a quarter.
The share applies to the holding, not to one plot. A khatian often covers several dags, and in a dag it may own only part of the land. Modern khatians show two figures for each dag: the total area of the dag, and the land of this khatian in that dag. Use the second figure.
Check that the shares of all owners add up to 1.000 (or 16 anna). If they do not, the copy may be incomplete or there may be an error in the record that needs attention.
Anna, gonda, kora, kranti: converting an anna share to a decimal
| Unit | Relation | Share of the whole |
|---|---|---|
| 16 anna | The whole holding | 1 |
| 1 anna | 20 gonda | 1/16 = 0.0625 |
| 1 gonda | 4 kora | 1/320 = 0.003125 |
| 1 kora | 3 kranti | 1/1280 = 0.00078125 |
| 1 kranti | 20 til | 1/3840 |
To convert: decimal share = anna ÷ 16 + gonda ÷ 320 + kora ÷ 1280 + kranti ÷ 3840.
Example: 4 anna 4 gonda = 4 ÷ 16 + 4 ÷ 320 = 0.25 + 0.0125 = 0.2625. An easier way is to turn everything into gonda: 4 anna 4 gonda = 84 gonda, and 84 ÷ 320 = 0.2625.
Do not confuse these with land measures. In a khatian, anna and gonda are shares, a fraction of the holding. In some districts gonda is also a local unit of land area. That is a different thing, and mixing the two is a common source of wrong calculations.
The formula with worked examples
Owner’s land = land of this khatian in the dag × owner’s share. Repeat for every dag and add the results.
| Case | Calculation | Owner’s land |
|---|---|---|
| BS khatian, one dag of 60 decimals, share .500 | 60 × 0.5 | 30 decimals (about 18.15 katha) |
| RS khatian, 45 decimals, share .333 (one third) | 45 ÷ 3 | 15 decimals |
| CS khatian, 40 decimals, share 4 anna 4 gonda | 40 × 0.2625 | 10.5 decimals |
| Three dags of 25, 15 and 8 decimals, share .250 | (25 + 15 + 8) × 0.25 | 12 decimals |
Units: 1 decimal (shotangsho) = 435.6 square feet, and 100 decimals = 1 acre. In Dhaka 1 katha = 720 square feet, which is about 1.65 decimals. Katha and bigha differ in some regions, so state the unit when you write a deed or agreement.
When a share is a rounded figure like .333, calculate with the true fraction (one third) to avoid small errors adding up across several dags.
When the khatian share does not match your deed
A khatian shows who held the land when the record was made. Since then, owners may have sold, gifted or died. So a mismatch is common, and it does not by itself mean anyone is cheating.
- Recorded owner has died: the share passes to the heirs under their personal law. Work out each heir’s fraction with our faraiz calculator, then multiply it by the recorded owner’s land.
- Later sale: the buyer’s deed should describe the land by dag and area. The buyer cannot get more than the seller held. Check the seller’s share in the khatian before buying.
- Deed and record genuinely conflict: ownership comes from a valid deed or inheritance, not from the khatian, but the khatian is presumed correct until proved wrong. Update the record through namjari (mutation), or correct a wrong survey entry through the proper forum.
Where co-owners hold shares in the same dags without a division on the ground, your share is a fraction of every plot, not a specific piece. To get a defined piece, the co-owners need a partition.
Common mistakes when calculating a khatian share
- Using the whole dag area when the khatian owns only part of the dag.
- Treating gonda as an area unit inside an anna share.
- Rounding too early, for example using .33 instead of one third across many dags.
- Ignoring later transfers and deaths since the record was made.
- Adding shares from different khatians as if they were one holding. Calculate each khatian separately.
- Assuming katha is the same everywhere. Convert through square feet if in doubt.
- Relying on an uncertified copy. Before a sale or a court case, get a certified copy and match it with the mouza map.
If your figures still do not add up, a lawyer or licensed surveyor can check the record, map and deeds together.
Get a certified copy
Latest khatian and the mouza map.
Note each dag
Use the land of this khatian in the dag.
Convert the share
Anna-gonda to decimal if needed.
Multiply and add
Then check against your deed.
Common questions
How do I calculate my share from a khatian?
Take the land of that khatian in each dag, multiply by your share, and add the results for all dags. If the share is in anna, convert it to a decimal first by dividing anna by 16 and gonda by 320.
How do I find my share from an SA khatian?
SA khatians often show shares in anna and gonda. Convert to a decimal (16 anna is the whole), then multiply by the khatian's land in each dag. Check whether a later RS or BS record or mutation has changed the position.
How do I find my share from an RS or BS khatian?
RS and BS khatians write shares as decimals, so .500 is half and .250 a quarter. Multiply the share by the land of this khatian in each dag, shown in the dag column, and add up.
How many decimals is 1 anna?
In a khatian, anna is a share, not an area. One anna is one sixteenth (0.0625) of the khatian's land. If the khatian holds 160 decimals, 1 anna is 10 decimals.
What are anna, gonda, kora and kranti?
They are the traditional share units: 16 anna make the whole, 1 anna is 20 gonda, 1 gonda is 4 kora, 1 kora is 3 kranti and 1 kranti is 20 til.
How many decimals is 1 katha?
In Dhaka, 1 katha is 720 square feet, which is about 1.65 decimals, because 1 decimal is 435.6 square feet. Local katha sizes can differ outside Dhaka.
My khatian share is different from my deed. What should I do?
First check for later sales, gifts and deaths since the record was made. Ownership rests on a valid deed or inheritance, but the record is presumed correct. Update it through mutation, or correct a wrong entry through the proper forum.
How do I calculate an heir's share of a recorded owner's land?
Work out each heir's fraction under their personal law, for example with a faraiz calculator for Muslim heirs, then multiply that fraction by the deceased owner's land calculated from the khatian.
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