Emergence of the School
- Emerged in regions of Bengal.
- Developed in the period between the 8th and 12th century CE under the patronage of the Pala dynasty and the Sena dynasty.
Pala Dynasty
- The Palas were primarily Mahayana Buddhists who built a large number of Viharas, Chaityas, and Stupas.
- Monuments under Pala rulers are the Universities of Nalanda, Jagaddala, Odantapuri, and Vikramshila in India and Somapura Mahavihara in Bangladesh.
Pic Credit – Wikimedia Commons
Sena Dynasty
- The Senas were Hindus and built temples of Hindu gods, while sustaining the Buddhist architecture.
- Basic Features of the Architecture
- The buildings had curved or sloping roofs, as in bamboo huts. This became popularly known as the “Bangla roof” and was later adopted by the Mughal architects.
- Burnt bricks and clay, known as terracotta bricks, were the principal building materials used.
- The temples of this region had a tall, curving shikhara crowned by a large amalaka, similar to the Odisha School.
- For the sculptures of this region, both stone as well as metal were used.
- The figures were unique in their highly lustrous finish.
- For Example – Siddhesvara Mahadeva Temple in Barakar and Dhakeshwari Temple in Bangladesh.