What is Pehowa (Prithudaka) and why is it important for ancestral rites near Kurukshetra?

Pehowa, known in ancient texts as Prithudaka (“the waters of King Prithu”), is a town 25 km from Kurukshetra on the banks of the Sarasvati River. It is one of India’s oldest and most respected Pitru Tirthas — according to the Mahabharata (Vana Parva) and Vayu Purana, King Prithu performed the first formal Shradh ceremony at this location, establishing it as a permanent sacred site for ancestral rites.

Pehowa has dedicated ghats along the Sarasvati where Pind Daan, Asthi Visarjan, and annual Shradh are performed by local Teerth Purohits who have maintained this tradition for generations. The town is specifically known for Asthi Visarjan (immersion of ashes) in the Sarasvati — families who cannot travel to Haridwar or Prayagraj often choose Pehowa as their primary immersion site.

Prayag Pandits offers combined Kurukshetra-Pehowa pilgrimage packages that include Pind Daan at Sannihit Sarovar followed by Asthi Visarjan at Pehowa’s Sarasvati ghats in a single day.