Hindu Iconography 101: Drawing and Reading Deities

10 Sessions Beginner Friendly Drawing + Iconography English

A beginner-friendly, 10-session online course that uses simple drawing exercises to help you see and understand Hindu deity images, especially from the Newar traditions of the Kathmandu Valley. Each session combines a short lecture with guided line-drawing practice, using just pen and paper, to help you identify and interpret common deity forms. You will also receive reading materials and worksheets for each session. The course is fully self-paced, and by the end, you'll have a clear, repeatable method for reading Hindu iconography, along with your own sketches and notes.

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Sessions

10 Sessions

Level

Beginner Friendly

Focus

Drawing + Iconography

Language

English

About the Course

Hindu Iconography 101: Drawing and Reading Deities is a 10-session online course for anyone who has ever stood in front of a temple image or museum sculpture and wondered, "Which deity is this, and how do people recognize it?" Across 10 sessions, you'll learn to see and understand Hindu deity images, especially from the Newar traditions of the Kathmandu Valley, through a blend of visual lectures and hands-on drawing.

What to Expect:

Each session is a recorded video (about one hour) released every three days starting on January 4. It includes a short illustrated lecture, guided line-drawing practice, and reading materials and worksheets. Simple pen-and-paper drawing helps you slow down, look closely, and recognize key features of each deity.
You'll explore groups like the Aṣṭamātrikā, Daśadigpāla, Aṣṭabhairava, and forms of Durgā, along with other popular deities in the valley, using real examples in stone, metal, and paubhā art from the Kathmandu Valley.
The course is self-paced, and while it's primarily a personal learning journey, you're welcome to reach out with occasional questions. By the end, you'll have a repeatable method for reading Hindu iconography and a set of sketches and notes to keep.

What This Course Is Not:

This is not a full paubhā or thangka painting course, nor a formal śāstric training. Drawing is used as a method of seeing and understanding, not as a fine art skill.

Course Fee: NPR 4,500 for all 10 sessions.

Important Dates

Deadline: 23rd Dec 2025

Course Start: 4th Jan 2026

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Have questions? Message us on WhatsApp at +977 9803076738 — we'll be happy to help.

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Frequently Asked Questions

This is a recorded course. You watch the sessions on this website after logging in.

A new session is released every three days at 5:00 PM (Nepal time). Each session is about one hour.

Yes, it is fully self-paced. You do not need to attend at a fixed time. The release time only tells you when the next session becomes available.

You only need pen/pencil and paper. No drawing background is required. The drawing is simple line practice used to improve observation, not to make finished art.

You will receive reading materials and worksheets for each session, along with the recorded lesson and guided drawing practice.

We focus on Hindu deity images as they appear in the Newar traditions of the Kathmandu Valley, using real examples from stone and metal sculpture and paubhā art. You'll explore groups like Aṣṭamātrikā, Daśadigpāla, Aṣṭabhairava, and forms of Durgā, along with other common Valley deities.

This is not a full paubhā/thangka painting course and not formal śāstric training. Drawing is used as a method of seeing and understanding, not as a fine art skill.