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Q6 (IAS/2022) History & Culture › Heritage & Misc Culture › Religious sites and temples Official Key

The Prime Minister recently inaugurated the new Circuit House near Somnath Temple at Veraval. Which of the following statements are correct regarding Somnath Temple ? 1. Somnath Temple is one of the Jyotirlinga shrines. 2. A description of Somnath Temple was given by Al-Biruni. 3. Pran Pratishtha of Somnath Temple (installation of the present day temple) was done by President S. Radhakrishnan. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 1 (1 and 2 only). The explanation for the statements is as follows:

  • Statement 1 is correct: The Somnath Temple, located in Prabhas Patan, Gujarat, is traditionally considered the first among the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva, making it one of the holiest pilgrimage sites in Hinduism.
  • Statement 2 is correct: The famous Persian scholar Al-Biruni provided a detailed account of the temple in his 11th-century travelogue, Tarikh-ul-Hind. He described its immense wealth and religious significance, which reportedly influenced Mahmud of Ghazni’s invasion.
  • Statement 3 is incorrect: While the present structure was reconstructed after independence under the leadership of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony on May 11, 1951, was performed by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, not S. Radhakrishnan.

Therefore, since only statements 1 and 2 are historically and factually accurate, Option 1 is the right choice.

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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. The Prime Minister recently inaugurated the new Circuit House near Somnath Temple at Veraval. Which of the following statements are corre…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 10/10
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This question is a classic 'Current Affairs Hook' leading to 'Static History' content. While the trigger was the PM's 2022 visit, the statements test standard cultural knowledge (Jyotirlingas), medieval historiography (Al-Biruni), and famous Post-Independence political history (Nehru vs. Rajendra Prasad). It rewards integrated reading over isolated fact-cramming.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Is Somnath Temple (Veraval, Gujarat) one of the traditional Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Somnath Temple is a Hindu temple, located in Prabhas Patan, Veraval, in Gujarat, India. It is ... the first among the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly identifies Somnath Temple's location as Prabhas Patan, Veraval, Gujarat.
  • Directly states it is the first among the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva, answering the question unambiguously.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
"At its heart is a large, black Shiva lingam—one of the 12 most sacred Shiva shrines, known as the jyotirlingas."
Why this source?
  • Describes the temple's central Shiva lingam as being one of the 12 most sacred Shiva shrines.
  • Confirms Somnath's status as one of the traditional jyotirlingas.

Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 8: How the Land Becomes Sacred > LET'S EXPLORE > p. 173
Strength: 5/5
“Note the locations of the chār dhām. What do you think it implied for the people when they travelled north-south and east-west? While visiting the major sacred places connected to their respective faiths, pilgrims would naturally cover the geography of India. They would come across diverse languages, customs, clothing and foods along the way, but would notice the commonalities too. The 12 jyotirlingas are sacred shrines dedicated to Śhiva, a major deity of Hinduism. Each shrine has its own unique mythology and name.”
Why relevant

States that there are '12 jyotirlingas' which are sacred shrines dedicated to Śiva and that each has a unique name and mythology — establishing that a defined list of specific shrines exists.

How to extend

A student could look up the canonical list of 12 names/locations and check whether 'Somnath' (or Veraval/Gujarat) appears among them.

Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 8: How the Land Becomes Sacred > LET'S EXPLORE > p. 171
Strength: 4/5
“Trees, ponds, hills and mountains that the Tīrthankaras visited or meditated at are also considered sacred. Examples of such places include Mount Abu, Girnar and the Śhatruñjaya hill in Saurashtra (Gujarat). Another example is the pilgrimage to Sabarimala temple (Kerala), dedicated to the deity Ayyappa, which draws over ten million devotees every year. This hilltop shrine was traditionally reached by an immensely difficult trek through hills and forests. Such a challenging approach, common to many hilltop or mountain shrines all over the country, symbolises the difficulties of the inner path, with natural landmarks along the route being considered sacred. Fig.”
Why relevant

Identifies Girnar and Saurashtra (both in Gujarat) as examples of regionally important sacred places, showing Gujarat contains major pilgrimage sites.

How to extend

A student can use a basic map of Gujarat to relate Somnath/Veraval to the region of known sacred sites and compare locations of the 12 jyotirlingas to see if one is in that area.

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Bhakti-Sufi Traditions > Shastras or devotion? > p. 144
Strength: 4/5
“This is a verse composed by Appar, a Nayanar saint: O rogues who quote the law books, Of what use are your gotra and kula? Just bow to Marperu's lord (Shiva who resides in Marperu, in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu) as your sole refuge. Ü Are there any similarities or differences in the attitudes of Tondaradippodi and Appar towards Brahmanas? During their travels the Alvars and Nayanars identified certain shrines as abodes of their chosen deities. Very often large temples were later built at these sacred places. These developed as centres of pilgrimage. Singing compositions of these poet-saints became part of temple rituals in these shrines, as did worship of the saints' images.”
Why relevant

Describes how Nayanar saints identified certain shrines as abodes of their deities and that such identifications led to major pilgrimage centres — indicating historical/saint traditions are a source for shrine status.

How to extend

A student could check historical/saint literature or temple traditions associated with Somnath to see if it was identified by such authoritative traditions as a jyotirlinga.

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Bhakti-Sufi Traditions > 2.4 Relations with the state > p. 146
Strength: 3/5
“compositions of the Nayanars. Historians have attempted to explain this hostility by suggesting that it was due to competition between members of other religious traditions for royal patronage. What is evident is that the powerful Chola rulers (ninth to thirteenth centuries) supported Brahmanical and bhakti traditions, making land grants and constructing temples for Vishnu and Shiva. In fact, some of the most magnificent Shiva temples, including those at Chidambaram, Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram, were constructed under the patronage of Chola rulers. This was also the period when some of the most spectacular representations of Shiva in bronze sculpture were produced. Clearly, the visions of the Nayanars inspired artists.”
Why relevant

Notes that powerful rulers supported and constructed major Shiva temples (examples given), implying that royal patronage and fame are characteristics of prominent Shiva shrines.

How to extend

A student could investigate whether Somnath received royal patronage or wide historical recognition comparable to named major Shiva shrines, which might support (but not prove) its inclusion among the twelve.

Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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