Distance Measurement in Ancient India

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P-Q R S T-U V-W-X Y-Z

Distance Measurement in Ancient India
see also Distance Measurement in Ancient India-2

Ancient measurement of distance in India --
1 Yojan = 4 Kos = 12 Kms = approx 9 miles
1 Kos = 2 and a 1/4 miles

Valmiki Ramayan, 1/1/65 says - Baali was able to throw Dundubhee Raakshas' body, with whole of his foot, up to two hundred bow-lengths, where the length of bow is said as six to seven feet. But Raam could kick that heap (of his bones) to 10 Yojan far, roughly ninety miles, only with a flip of His big toe's tip. But Sugreev continued his grumbling, 'in those days this skeleton was with flesh and blood, now it has become weight-less, thus show me more of your show of strength...' One Yojan is an ancient measure for distance, where that distance is covered in one yoking. Chambers dictionary puts it as five miles, and it is disagreeable for it is British-Indian revenue measure. Traditionally it is four Krosh and thus each Yojan is 9-10 miles.

Dhanush (bow) = 6 feet

Go-Charm Bhoomi

Go-Charm means the skin of a cow.
2,100 arm-length long and the same arm-length wide land is called Go-Charm Bhoomi (land).
(2 arm-length = 1 yard, thus 2,100 arm-length land is about 1,050x1,050 square yard land)
(Naarad Puraan, p 721)

10 Haath (arm) = 1 Dand
30 Dand = 1 Vartan
!0 Vartan - 1 Go-Charm
[10 Haath = 5 yards; 300 Haath = 150 Yards; 3,000 Haath = 1,500 yards]

Or 1,000 cows who give birth to small calves, can stand on whichever land along with their bulls, that land is called one Go-Charm Bhoomi.
(Padm Puraan, p 633)

30 sticks (1 stick 10 Haath (arm) long) = 1 Nivartan
10 Nivartan = 1 Gocharm
[Agni Puraan, 24]

Modern Measurements

--Acre was selected as approximately the area of land tilled by one man behind one ox in one day.
--Acre is officially discouraged in the United Kingdom, but is a popular unit of measurement with general public. It has been so popular to measure very large land there even if the land is conveniently measured in Square miles, such as 32,000 Acre is popular to say instead of 50 Sq Miles.
--Acre is a legal unit of measurement in the United States.
--See also cockeyed.com for its interesting illustrations.

Imperial	Metric
10 Soot = 1 Inch 12 Inch = 1 Foot 3 Foot = 1 Yard 220 Yards = 1 Furlong 8 Furlong = 1 Mile 1760 Yards = 1 Mile	10 Millimeters = 1 Centimeter 100 Centimeters = 1 Meter 1000 Meters = 1 Kilometer
43,560 Sq Feet = 1 Acre 4,840 Sq Yards = 1 Acre 1 Furlong x 4 Rods = 1 Acre (used by farmers and real estate agents)	1 Kilometer = 1,000 Meters =

Conversion
.00625 Acres = 1 Sq Rod 1 Acre = 43,560 Sq Feet 1 Acre = 4840 Sq Yards 1 Acre = 160 Sq Rods	1 Yard = 9144 Meters 1 Acre = 4046.8564 Sq Meters 1 Acre = .40469 Hectares

Home \| Names \| Dictionary \| Locations \| Tidbits
Dictionary-Measurements-Distance-1	Back to M