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 :

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Kitab‑ul‑Hind covers religion, festivals, iconography and social life—topics under which temple descriptions commonly appear.

A student could check chapter lists or indices of Kitab‑ul‑Hind for entries on temples or specific shrines (e.g., Somnath) to see if Biruni treated them.

Biruni stated his objective was to help discuss religious questions and to be a repertory of information about Hindus—motivation consistent with describing important religious sites.

Combine this stated objective with knowledge that Somnath was a major shrine to assess the likelihood Biruni would mention it and then inspect his text for such passages.

Biruni used Sanskritic normative sources and gave detailed cultural analyses (e.g., on caste), showing he engaged deeply with indigenous religious norms and descriptions.

Given this method, a student might search his Sanskrit‑informed chapters (on iconography/temples) for descriptions of prominent pilgrimage centres like Somnath.

The chapter frames Biruni among travellers whose accounts enriched knowledge of Indian social/religious life, implying such travellers often recorded visible religious sites.

Using the general pattern that contemporary travellers documented major shrines, a student could prioritise searching Biruni’s travel descriptions for Somnath references.

Somnath appears explicitly in Arab chronicles and in histories of raids, showing it was a well‑known landmark in medieval Islamic sources.

Because Arab chroniclers discussed Somnath, a student could reasonably check whether Biruni (an eleventh‑century Muslim scholar) likewise mentioned this prominent temple in his writings.

Gives the exact period when Dr. S. Radhakrishnan served as President of India (1962–1967), providing a time window to compare with the date of any Somnath consecration.

A student could look up the date of the present-day Somnath Temple's pran pratishtha and see if it falls within 1962–1967 to judge plausibility.

Also lists Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan with associated years, reinforcing the presidential-tenure timeframe.

Combine with a source that gives the Somnath consecration date to check chronological overlap with his tenure.

States that Ahilyabai Holkar rebuilt the Somnath temple after earlier destruction, indicating Somnath has undergone multiple reconstructions and consecrations across history.

Use this pattern (multiple rebuilds) to suspect there may have been several pran pratishtha events; check which one is the 'present-day' consecration and when it occurred.

Notes historical destructions of Somnath (by Aurangzeb and earlier invaders), implying later restorations/reconsecrations were necessary.

A student could infer that the 'present-day' temple is a reconstruction and seek the modern reconstruction and consecration date to compare with Radhakrishnan's presidency.

Describes the practice of rulers performing Vedic rituals and donating idols to temples, showing a precedent for political or high-status figures participating in temple consecrations.

Using this pattern, a student might treat it as plausible for a head of state to preside over a major temple's pran pratishtha and then verify the specific event and officiant.