Pehowa Tirtha
Pehowa, Haryana · Lord Kartikeya · Heritage Temple
Ancient ghats and the Kartikeya Temple on the Kurukshetra circuit, famed for ancestral rites.
Pehowa, about 27 km west of Kurukshetra, is described by Haryana Tourism as a town with many tirthas, ghats and temples. The Kartikeya Temple here is linked to the Mahabharata tradition that Yudhishthira lit lamps for the fallen warriors; lamps flanking the shrine are said to have burned continuously since then. The wider Pehowa belt remains an important Kurukshetra-circuit stop for ancestral rites and riverfront worship.
History
Tourism records the Kartikeya temple at Pehowa and the legend of the eternally lit lamps beside the shrine after the Kurukshetra war.
Other official listings in Pehowa include the Prachin Shiva Temple with sculptures from the Hindu pantheon and Vishvamitra Ka Tila with Gurjara-Pratihara inscriptions mentioning Vishnu temples — evidence of the town’s long standing as a sacred centre west of Thanesar.
Stories
The Lamps for the Fallen
Haryana Tourism records the legend that after the Mahabharata war, Krishna had Yudhishthira light two lamps for the vast number of warriors who died in the battle. The Kartikeya temple at Pehowa stands at this site.
These lamps flank the temple, and it is believed that they have been lit continuously ever since. Pehowa lies about 27 km west of Kurukshetra and has many tirthas and ghats.
Prithudaka in Early Medieval Records
Pehowa's older name is Prithudaka, and the Skanda, Markandeya and Vamana Puranas mention it. A ninth-century inscription found there records that Gogga, of the Tomara family and a vassal of the Pratihara king Mahendrapala I, built three Vishnu temples here. Those temples do not survive in present-day Pehowa. The inscription is also noted by historians as the earliest surviving reference to the Tomara dynasty.
A Place for Ancestral Rites
Pehowa, once called Pitrudhak Tirth, is visited by many Hindus and Sikhs to perform last rites and pind daan for departed family members on the banks of the Sarasvati. The town lies within the 48 Kos Parikrama circuit of Kurukshetra. Hereditary genealogy registers kept by priests at Pehowa are also consulted by families tracing their ancestry.
Good to know
Kartikeya Temple with lamps linked to the Mahabharata tradition
Many ghats and tirthas listed around Pehowa on state tourism pages
About 27 km west of Kurukshetra on the pilgrimage circuit
Getting there
Nearest airport: Chandigarh. Kurukshetra Junction is the convenient railhead; Pehowa is reached by road west from Kurukshetra city.
Best time to visit: Oct – Mar