Pehowa
One of the most sacred place among the "Hindus", the "Pehowa" lies at a distance of 27 kilometer from "Thanesar". The ancient town of Pehowa has a religious importance. The town of "Pehowa" was named after the famous King "Prithu". The historicity of the place coupled with its religious significance makes Pehowa one of the most sought after tourist destination.
The ancient town of "Pehowa", is endowed with many Hindu temples which draws several devotees through out the year. According to a historical legend the famous and mighty King Prithu, on the death of his father was giving water to all the people. Sitting on the banks of the sacred River Yamuna, the King carried on with this humble activity so that the soul of his father rests in peace. From that time onwards, the place came to be known as "Prithudaka". With the passage of time, the original name of "Prithudaka" was altered to "Pehowa".
Many "Hindus" flock to the holy land of "Pehowa" to worship their death ancestors and offer "Pind Daan" in order to release the soul of the deceased from the cycle of birth and re- birth. One can experience death from a very close quarters in the holy land of "Pehowa", where most of the tourist come to pay their last religious offerings to their near and dear ones.
The town of "Pehowa" is blessed with a renowned and unique temple of "Lord Shiva" and his eldest son "Lord Kartikkya". This ancient temple of Lord Shiva is dedicated to a "five faced" beautiful statue of the "Supreme Being". The temple is thronged by the visitors who offer prayer to seek divine blessings of "God".
Mythic History
This site was called 'Prithudaka' in the epics of Mahabharat named after the King Prithu who prayed for the salvation of his fathers soul here. This site is where the tradition of Shraddha to fathers is offered. It is located 27 km west of Thanesar. The place boasts of existence from AD 882 but an inscription written on it states that it was actually built in AD 895. Legend has it that when the father of King Prithu was nearing his death, he wanted his son to fulfill just one wish of his. He wanted to breathe his last near the river Yamuna Prithudak.
The obedient son arranged for the same, where his father departed the world of the mortals. Filled with remorse, Prithu sat staring at the river for many days at a stretch and made innumerable offerings to God and observed fast too. The place where he is believed to have observed the fast for several days has been named Prithudak Teertha. Many ghats and temples have now been constructed in respect to the honour of the king's sacrifice.
The Lord Kartikay temple at the ghat is built at the site (as quoted by the temple priest) where Lord kartikay upon reaching back after going around the universe as per directions from Lord Shiva and Parvati removed his skin and left it with Maa Parvati. The temple has 2 rock blocks and an image of Lord Kartikay in marble flanked by 2 oil lamps. Shri Krishna made Yudhishtir light those two lamps for the 18,00,000 people who perished in mahabharat. the said lamps have been burning since the day. Oil is offered to the stone blocks, the marble image and the lamps for relieving pain of Lord Kartikay and of the souls of ancestors. If the story is true then by the most conservative estimates, the temple would be at least 4500 years old.
The most interesting thing to be observed at the place is the record of families kept since mahabharat. The purohits(priest) who sit around the place in small shops have been keeping records of families visiting the place since mahabharat (as per my family purohit). I quote " the records were being maintained since mahabharat of all the people visiting to get the rites performed. These were partly burnt by the islamic rulers, when massive conversions were made forcibly, to remove any track of the family tree". Still one can find records of at least past 400 years and get the entire family tree.
Cited from:
