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, AI-Masudi and Alberuni. 2) The pilgrimage to Sambalpur was associated with Sun worship.

Both statements hold up, so the answer is C. Statement 1 is the firmer of the two. The Aditya (Sun) temple at Multan is described by Hiuen Tsang in the seventh century, and later by Abu Zaid, Al-Masudi and Alberuni. These accounts are why Multan is a standard reference point for early medieval Sun worship, alongside Martand and Modhera.

Statement 2 is the less familiar one. Sun worship in western Odisha, including the Sambalpur region, is recorded in local ritual and pilgrimage traditions, and the examiner treats the link as valid. I am not confident of a specific shrine or text for this claim, so do not memorise it as a fixed fact. Verify it against a reliable Odisha source before relying on it.

Concept: Sun worship (Saura tradition) and its regional spread. For Mains, trace how Sun temples in Multan, Konark and Modhera reflect cross-regional religious exchange and the patronage of early medieval dynasties.

Trap: Candidates often reject statement 2 simply because they have not heard of the Sambalpur link, and then pick A. Unfamiliar regional details in a statement are not grounds for dismissing it.