Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 1 — 1 and 2 only

This question tests knowledge about the historical and religious significance of Somnath Temple. Statement 3 is incorrect because the consecration was performed by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, not Dr. S. Radhakrishnan.

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Somnath Temple houses one of the twelve sacred Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva, making it one of the most revered pilgrimage sites in Hinduism.

✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Al-Biruni, the Persian scholar who accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni, documented the grandeur of Somnath Temple in his writings, describing it as a stone structure built around the 10th century and fortified by the sea on three sides.

❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: The Pran Pratishtha (consecration) of the reconstructed Somnath Temple in 1951 was performed by India's first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad, not Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (who was the second President).

📝 Short Notes: Somnath Temple

• Location: Veraval (Prabhas Patan), Gujarat, on the western coast of India
• Religious Significance: One of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines, considered the first among them
• Historical Destruction: The temple was destroyed and rebuilt multiple times; most notably by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 CE
• Al-Biruni's Account: Described the temple's magnificent architecture and wealth, which attracted invasions
• Modern Reconstruction: Initiated by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and K.M. Munshi in 1947; completed in 1951
• Consecration (1951): Performed by President Dr. Rajendra Prasad on May 11, 1951
• Architectural Style: Present structure built in Chalukya style of temple architecture using sandstone