Gold Weight Converter: Gram to Tola, Pavan, Bhori, Kasu & Masha
Table of Contents
A grandmother in Kanpur describes her chain in tolas. A jeweller in Kochi quotes the same weight in pavan, a relative in Kolkata calls it bhori and the bill prints all in grams. India measures gold in at least 6 units simultaneously. This is the reason why people search so much for a gram to tola converter and its cousins. Once written down, the equivalences are fixed: a tola is 11.6638 grams, a pavan 8 grams in most southern markets, a bhori matches the tola, a masha is a twelfth of a tola at 0.972 grams, and the old Tamil kasu sits near 0.38 grams. This page contains everything: what each unit means and where it is used, exact two-way conversion formulas, a quick-reference table for common jewellery weights, and how these units translate at the counter when gold is weighed for a loan.
Gold Weight Units Used in India: A Quick Overview
Five traditional gold weight units survive alongside the gram, each rooted in a region. The tola is the most widespread, standardised at 11.6638 grams and heard across North India and much of the trade generally. The pavan belongs to Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where jewellers price ornaments by it; 8 grams is the common standard. Bengal and Odisha weigh in bhori, which equals the tola exactly, just under a different name.
Two smaller units round out the set. The kasu, a Tamil Nadu measure of roughly 0.38 grams, survives mostly in traditional jewellery descriptions rather than modern billing. And the masha, one-twelfth of a tola, lingers in older North Indian trade usage. Grams rule every official document now. The traditional gold weight names rule conversation.
What Is a Tola?
The tola is a traditional South Asian unit, standardized at 11.6638038 grams or 180 troy grains. It was fixed in the British colonial weight system to its modern value. It is still the default spoken unit for gold in North India . If you ask the weight of a chain in a household in Delhi or Lucknow, the answer for 1 tola gold is usually in tolas, not grams.
What Is a Pavan?
The pavan (also written pavun or sovereign) is the working unit of the Kerala and Tamil Nadu gold markets. Most jewellers in these states take 1 pavan = 8 grams. A minority follow an older 7.5-gram convention, so the pavan gold weight is worth confirming with the specific jeweller before comparing quotes. Wedding jewellery budgets in the south are routinely discussed in pavan rather than grams.
What Is a Bhori?
The bhori is the Bengal and Odisha name for the same weight as the tola: 11.6638 grams. Some areas spell or say it as vori. The two terms are fully interchangeable in value, so a bhori to gram conversion is identical to a tola conversion. Only the geography changes; a Kolkata jeweller says bhori where a Kanpur jeweller says tola.
What Is a Kasu?
Kasu is a traditional unit of Tamil Nadu . Historically it was fixed at about 0.38 grams , but the exact value has changed over time and place . It's a rarity in modern commercial billing. It is to be found in descriptions of traditional pieces like the kasu malai coin necklace in which the kasu gold weight is a reference to the small gold coins strung together.
What Is a Masha?
The masha is a sub-unit of the tola: 12 masha make 1 tola, so 1 masha equals 0.9720 grams (11.6638 ÷ 12). It survives in older North Indian jewellery trade contexts and turns up in gemstone weight discussions as well. For a masha to gram conversion, multiplying by 0.972 settles it.
Gold Weight Conversion Formulas
Every conversion on this page reduces to a single multiplication or division. The exact factors, for standard Indian market usage:
Tola to gram: × 11.6638038. Gram to tola: ÷ 11.6638038.
Pavan to gram: × 8. Gram to pavan: ÷ 8 (confirm if a jeweller follows the 7.5-gram convention).
Bhori to gram: × 11.6638. Gram to bhori: ÷ 11.6638.
Kasu to gram: × 0.38 (approximate, traditional). Gram to kasu: ÷ 0.38.
Masha to gram: × 0.9720. Gram to masha: ÷ 0.9720.
So a 4-tola necklace weighs 4 × 11.6638 = 46.66 grams, and a 25-gram bangle pair works out to 25 ÷ 8 = 3.13 pavan. Nothing more complicated is ever needed.
Quick-Reference Gold Weight Conversion Table
The table covers common jewellery weights, rounded to two decimals. Pavan values follow the 8-gram standard, and bhori equals tola throughout.
|
Grams |
Tola |
Pavan |
Bhori |
Masha |
|
1 |
0.09 |
0.13 |
0.09 |
1.03 |
|
5 |
0.43 |
0.63 |
0.43 |
5.14 |
|
8 |
0.69 |
1.00 |
0.69 |
8.23 |
|
10 |
0.86 |
1.25 |
0.86 |
10.29 |
|
11.66 |
1.00 |
1.46 |
1.00 |
12.00 |
|
20 |
1.71 |
2.50 |
1.71 |
20.58 |
|
25 |
2.14 |
3.13 |
2.14 |
25.72 |
|
50 |
4.29 |
6.25 |
4.29 |
51.44 |
|
100 |
8.57 |
12.50 |
8.57 |
102.88 |
Note: Conversion figures are rounded to two decimals for reference. Pavan values follow the 8-gram market standard; jewellers using the older 7.5-gram convention will differ. The gram figure printed on an official bill is what governs.
How Gold Weight May Affect a Gold Loan Amount
Whatever unit a family speaks in, the loan counter speaks grams. At assessment, the lender weighs the gold on a calibrated scale in grams, deducts stones and attachments to arrive at the net weight, and verifies purity with the borrower present. RBI norms govern the value put on that weight, taking the lower figure between the trailing 30-day average and the prior day's close, sourced from IBJA or a SEBI-recognised exchange, with the reference rate applied according to the assessed purity of the gold. The gold weight gold loan link is that simple; heavier net metal, higher value.
Take a 1-tola necklace, which is 11.66 grams. Assume 22-carat gold at ₹13,000 per gram as a working figure. The metal value comes to about ₹1,51,600. Within RBI's tiered loan-to-value framework, a loan of that size falls in the up-to-85% band, so the eligible amount may reach roughly ₹1,28,800, subject to assessment and lender policy. The gold loan per gram outcome is the same whether the piece was described in tola, pavan, or bhori at home; the gram scale settles it. Current indicative figures for an IIFL Finance gold loan can be checked online with weight and purity before visiting a branch. These numbers are illustrative only, and prevailing rates change daily.
Conclusion
Six names, one metal. The tola, bhori, pavan, kasu, and masha all collapse into grams with a single multiplication, and the reference table above handles the weights most households actually own. The one genuine trap is the pavan's two conventions, 8 grams against 7.5, which makes a quick confirmation with the jeweller worth the ten seconds it takes. When gold moves from the locker to a loan counter, the regional names fall away and the calibrated gram scale takes over, valuing the net metal at the verified benchmark price. On that basis, a gold loan may turn a tola of idle jewellery into working funds without a sale, subject to eligibility and applicable guidelines. All figures here are indicative, and actual valuations and loan amounts depend on the assessed gold, the borrower, and the guidelines in force on the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many grams is 1 tola of gold?
1 tola equals 11.6638038 grams. This is the conventional value in Indian gold markets, historically set at 180 troy grains under the colonial weight system and unchanged since. The jewellers, the lenders, the bullion traders all use the same figure, so that a tola quoted in Delhi weighs the same as a tola quoted in Patna. A tola, for mental arithmetic, is 11.66 grams, which is accurate enough for any household estimate; the full decimal only matters on very large weights.
How many grams is 1 pavan of gold?
8 grams, in most Kerala and Tamil Nadu jewellery markets. That is the standard the large majority of jewellers in both states follow. A smaller number still work on an older convention of 7.5 grams per pavan, which changes a quoted price by over 6% for the same ornament. So the unit is worth confirming with the specific jeweller before comparing quotes. On a bill, the gram figure is what carries legal weight, so checking that the printed grams match the spoken pavan count avoids any gap.
What is the difference between bhori and tola?
Only the name. Both represent 11.6638 grams; bhori is the term used in West Bengal and Odisha, while tola is the word across North India. Some districts say vori for the same unit. Conversions, prices, and weights all work out identically, so a 2-bhori chain and a 2-tola chain contain the same metal. Anyone inheriting jewellery described in one term and dealing with a jeweller who speaks the other can simply swap the words; no arithmetic is involved at all.
How many masha are in 1 tola?
Twelve. 1 tola divides into 12 masha, which puts 1 masha at 0.9720 grams. The unit belongs to older North Indian jewellery trade usage and also appears in traditional gemstone weight contexts, where small fractions matter. Modern bills skip it entirely and print grams. If an older family record lists an ornament in tola and masha, converting is quick: multiply the tolas by 11.6638, the mashas by 0.972, and add the two for the gram weight.
How is gold weight measured for a gold loan?
In grams, on a calibrated scale, with the borrower present. The lender first deducts stones and non-gold attachments to reach the net metal weight, then verifies purity, since the loan is calculated on purity-adjusted weight rather than gross weight. RBI's framework then applies the benchmark price and the loan-to-value limit for the loan size. The assay certificate itemises purity, gross and net weight, and deductions, and it is worth reading before signing. Traditional units such as tola or pavan play no part in the official calculation.
Disclaimer : The information in this blog is for general purposes only and may change without notice. It does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Readers should seek professional guidance and make decisions at their own discretion. IIFL Finance is not liable for any reliance on this content. Read more
