Consider the following statements and select the correct answer using the codes given below :
1. The Sun temple of Multan is mentioned by Hiuen Tsang, Abuzaiyid, Al-Masudi and Alberuni.
2. The pilgrim

Question

Consider the following statements and select the correct answer using the codes given below :
1. The Sun temple of Multan is mentioned by Hiuen Tsang, Abuzaiyid, Al-Masudi and Alberuni.
2. The pilgrimage to Sambapur was associated with Sun worship.

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — C, Both 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 1: the famous Aditya (Sun) temple at Multan is recorded by a chain of travellers — the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang (Xuanzang, 641 CE) called it the region's chief solar shrine, and the Arab writers Abu Zaid (al-Sirafi), al-Masudi (10th century) and Alberuni (al-Biruni, early 11th century, who saw its ruins) all describe it. Statement 2: in the Samba tradition, Krishna's son Samba, cured of leprosy by worshipping Surya, is said to have founded the first Sun temple at Sambapura, so the Sambapura pilgrimage is tied to Sun (Surya) worship. Both statements hold, so the answer is (c).

Why the other options are wrong — (a) Understates the case — statement 2 is also correct, since Sambapura's pilgrimage is genuinely linked to Sun worship through the Samba legend.  (b) Understates the case — statement 1 is also correct; the Multan Sun temple is well attested by Hiuen Tsang, al-Masudi and Alberuni among others.  (d) Both statements are in fact correct, so 'neither' is wrong.

Concept: Sun (Surya) worship was a major cult in early-medieval India. The Aditya temple at Multan was one of its most celebrated and wealthy centres, repeatedly noted by foreign travellers for its idol and offerings. The associated legend of Samba — cured of leprosy by propitiating Surya and founding a solar temple at Sambapura — is preserved in the Samba Purana and links the Maga (Shakadvipi) Brahmin priesthood to Sun worship.

State PCS 2020 Q14 — History PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2020 Q14 — History PYQ with Answer