How to Read Anna–Gonda Shares in an Old Khatian, and Each Owner’s Land
Next to each owner’s name, an old khatian writes marks like ॥, ৷১০ or ⁄১৷৴. They say what part of the whole khatian each owner holds, and so how many decimal of land. Once you know the rule, they are easy to read.
In CS, SA, RS and older BS khatians, the land is often recorded in several names. Each name carries a “share”: the part of the whole khatian that person holds, written in the old anna–gonda marks. When heirs sit down to talk about dividing land, or someone wants to buy one share, the first question is always: “how much land is this share, actually?”
A share is a fraction of the whole khatian
A share is not an amount of land; it is a part. The whole khatian is “1”, or 16 anna, and below that:
- 1 = 16 anna (the whole khatian)
- 1 anna = 20 gonda
- 1 gonda = 4 kora
- 1 kora = 3 kranti
- 1 kranti = 20 til
So the whole khatian is 76,800 til. An owner with 8 anna holds half of it: 25 decimal if the khatian’s total is 50 decimal, 10 decimal if it is 20. That is why you need the khatian’s total land first, then the share.
Know the marks
Anna and kora are written as stroke marks; gonda and til as numbers.
- Anna: ⁄ = 1, ৵ = 2, ৶ = 3, ৷ = 4, ৷⁄ = 5 … ৷৷ = 8 … ৸ = 12 … ৸৶ = 15. So ৷ is 4 anna, ৸ is 12, and ⁄ ৵ ৶ add to them.
- Gonda: a number, 1 to 19.
- Kora: ৷ = 1, ৷৷ = 2, ৸ = 3.
- Kranti: ৴ = 1, ৴৴ = 2.
- Til: a number at the end, 1 to 19.
The big trap: one mark, two meanings
৷ and ৸ appear in both anna and kora. Position decides: the marks are read in order (anna marks, the gonda number, kora marks, kranti marks, then the til number). So ৷ before the gonda number is 4 anna, and after it is 1 kora. Likewise ⁄ before the gonda number is 1 anna, and ৴ after it is 1 kranti.
Reading a few examples
- ॥ = 8 anna = 1/2 of the khatian.
- ৷১০ = 4 anna 10 gonda = 9/32 (28.125%).
- ৶১০ = 3 anna 10 gonda = 7/32 (21.875%).
- ⁄১৷৴ = 1 anna 1 gonda 1 kora 1 kranti = exactly 1/15. The ৷ after the 1 is kora, because it follows the gonda number.
- ⁄১৫৷৷ ১৪ = 1 anna 15 gonda 2 kora 14 til ≈ 1/9 (common for three equal brothers).
Who gets how much: a full example
Say a khatian’s total land is 50 decimal, with three owners:
- Owner 1: ॥ (8 anna) → 50 × 1/2 = 25 decimal
- Owner 2: ৷১০ (4 anna 10 gonda) → 50 × 9/32 = 14.063 decimal
- Owner 3: ৶১০ (3 anna 10 gonda) → 50 × 7/32 = 10.938 decimal
Together: 8 anna + 4 anna 10 gonda + 3 anna 10 gonda = 16 anna, and 25 + 14.063 + 10.938 = 50 decimal. It adds up.
Check that the shares make 16 anna
All the owners’ shares in a khatian should add up to exactly 16 anna. If they don’t, either a share is missing or a mark was misread — common with old handwritten or faded copies. Knowing how much is missing or extra tells you which share to look at again.
In Mouza Plot & Land Measure BD: Khatian shares
Tools › Khatian shares (anna–gonda) (Pro · free during launch). Enter the khatian’s total land (decimal, katha, bigha, acre or sq ft), then each owner’s share in five boxes — each list shows the mark beside the number, such as ৷৷⁄ = 9 anna — or type it as the khatian writes it under Type the marks. The app shows each share in words, as a fraction and as land (decimal, sq ft, katha, kani–gonda), and whether all shares make 16 anna; if not, exactly what is missing. Tap ? for the full table of marks. Everything is worked out on the phone; nothing is sent anywhere. App page
On Google Play, free and with no ads.
Get it on Google PlayMistakes to avoid
- Working it out without the total. An anna is a part; without the khatian’s total land (all its dags together) there is no decimal figure.
- Misreading ৷. Before or after the gonda number? Skip that check and 4 anna easily becomes 1 kora.
- Treating the share as the inheritance. A khatian share is what the recorded owners hold. When one of them dies, the heirs’ shares are a separate calculation — use the government’s inheritance calculator.
- Treating this as a document. It helps you read. For mutation, partition or court, the land office records, a lawyer and an amin decide.
In short
The whole khatian is 16 anna; an anna is 20 gonda, a gonda 4 kora. Read the marks in order — anna, gonda, kora, kranti, til. Multiply the total land by each share’s fraction for each owner’s decimal, and check that the shares add up to 16 anna.
Read next
Frequently asked questions
How much land is 1 anna?
1 anna is one sixteenth of the whole khatian. If the khatian's total is 50 decimal, 1 anna = 3.125 decimal; if it is 32 decimal, 1 anna = 2 decimal. An anna is a share of the khatian, not a fixed amount of land.
What does it mean if the shares don't add up to 16 anna?
Either an owner's share is missing, or a share was read wrongly or is misprinted. Check how much is missing or extra against the khatian; if needed, look at a certified copy from the land office.
Is this a legal division?
No. It only reads the shares written in the khatian. For inheritance, mutation or partition, use the government's inheritance calculator, a lawyer and your land office.
Does the tool cost money?
Khatian shares is a Pro feature, but it is free during the launch. Everything is worked out on the phone; nothing is sent anywhere.