Which of the following is/are famous for Sun temples? 1. Arasavalli 2. Amarakantak 3. Omkareshwar Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

The correct answer is A (1 only). Arasavalli in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, has the Suryanarayana temple, dedicated to Surya. It is one of the few old Sun shrines still in active worship in the south, and it is often cited with Konark (Odisha) and Modhera (Gujarat) in discussions of Sun worship and temple architecture.

• Statement 2 is wrong. Amarkantak, on the Maikal hills, is the source of the Narmada and Sone rivers. Its fame rests on the Narmada origin shrine, the Kalachuri-era temples and its Jain temples, not on Sun worship.
• Statement 3 is wrong. Omkareshwar on the Narmada island is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. It has no Sun temple tradition.

The core concept is regional temple traditions, which the syllabus covers under Art and Culture. A Mains answer on Indian temple architecture or the spread of sun worship benefits from knowing where the surviving Sun temples are.

Trap: Aspirants often assume that any famous pilgrimage site on a river or hill is linked to Surya. Match each place to its primary deity and tradition, not to the most visible monument.