- Great impetus was given to art under the reign of Pala rulers in Bihar and Bengal during the period 730 to 1110 A.D.
- They were Buddhist by faith. They greatly encouraged centres of learning like Nalanda and Vikramasila, where the stupas and monasteries gave ample scope for the sculptor’s expression of an art which found stimulus in religion.
- During this period art reached technical perfection. The Pala Style is marked by slim and graceful figures, elaborate jewellery and conventional decoration.
- Their sculptures from Bihar are somewhat thick set and heavier in their general proportions of limbs than those from Bengal.The Pala rulers had intimate relations with Java which are evident in- Hindu-Javanese sculpture, and painting of Nepal, Kashmir, Burma and Thailand.
- Some amount of stylization is noticed in the later phase of Pala art, but the tradition is continued under the Sena rulers in the 12th century until the Islamic rulers overran the country.
- An excellent specimen from Mahanad in West Bengal is this lovely figure of the personified river goddess Ganga.She stands gracefully under a tree, Kalpataru, on a lotus, holding a water-vessel in her hand, symbolizing prosperity and plenty. The ends of her scarf draped around the arms, trail on either side. She is adorned with profuse jewellery and wears a lower garment reaching to the ankles. The figure is expressive and the workmanship is of a high order.