Completion Date: 08-03-08
Time Taken: 13 hours
Medium(s):
+ 05 mechanical pencil
+ Inked, colored, and watermarked in Photoshop CS2
Music:
+ Maara Daala - Kavita Krishnamurthy and K.K.
+ Shine - Bond
+ Shabba Shabba - Jatin Sharma
+ Utanma - Sertab Erener
+ Dola Dola - Bride and Prejudice
+ Dil Gaya - Omnia

Comment:
It took me forever to get this done, but finally its finished. A new sheet of Itarah to go with the one of Saleeda I posted not too long ago. My favorite part hands down would be the eyes. It pays off being zoomed in at 300% magnification sometimes. I didn't think I could get that much detail crammed in there like that. Woo!

::EDIT:: Added the darker fur color into the rosette spotting on the shoulders, rump/thighs, and tail. Updated information as well.

<sup>Name: Itarah
Title: "The lesser - Different from someone else, other than the demigods"
Breed: Indian Temple Cat
Form(s): Saleeda Balakrishna - [link]
Age: Adult
Sex: Female
Status: Servant of Durga
Affiliation: The Goddess, Durga
Occupation: Devadasi
Weaponary: --
Origin: India (Possibly in the area of Madhya Pradesh or Maharashtra)

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Hair: A rich, dark brown crest of fur starting from the forehead and ending at the mid-back. There are braids on each side of the neck along with loose sections of the mane, three braids are on the left and two on the right, each one is held by a three ring gold clasp.
Eyes: Slate blue (Note: The eyes are similar to the stone Tiger's Eye and highly reflective. Examples: The eye on the lleft demonstrates the appearence in bright light, while the eye on the right demonstrates the eye in normal/low light.)
Complexion: Golden Tabby ( [link] ) coat with variated spots and stripes. (Note: Spotting and stripes slightly darker than usual Golden Tabby coloration.)
Height: Head - 4'0", Withers - 3'0"
Weight: 670.3 lbs.
Physique: Muscular
Distinguishing Marks: She has a marking on her forehead similar to a bindi. It is an ovular dark brown mark with a white center and to the left and right at its peak are single white accent marks. Beneath each eye starting at the outer corner is a dark brown dot followed by a line that extends near the inner tear duct. Just below the eye on the cheek are tear marks. The eyes are highly reflective and strongly resemble the stone Tiger's Eye - [link] . In low light they appear to be stale blue, while in intense light they are silver blue or nearly white. The pupil remains unseen at all times, giving the appearance that there is not one. The eyes are surrounded by bold dark brown markings that extend onto the muzzle, these are joined by more stripes on her cheeks. Beginning about an inch and a half in front of her ears is a crest of fur that extends into a long mane. There are braids on each side of the neck, three on the left and two on the right, each one is held by a three ring gold clasp. Her front legs have small spots and stripes around the wrist joint only that extend into fetlocks. These fetlocks are also on the elbow joint. On the front legs the dew claw can be found. It does not retract and is a warm gray color. From head to tail she is covered in a combination of both spots and stripes, something unique to her lineage. On the two hindlegs and the tail tip are crescent markings with a small dot above, the one on the tail is preceeded by three small stripes.
Piercings: Ear - Crescent moon chain earring in right ear
Jewelry: A sterling silver guardian pendant (resemebles Griever from FFVIII), gold crescent moon chain earring, and a bronze snake necklace with Tiger's Eye (necklace from Brooke Stone Jewelry - [link] )

PERSONALITY
Likes: The desert, bodies of water, cool night, flowers, incense, temple statuaries, peace, The Divine Seven, her brothers, sun, candles, bright colors
Dislikes: Ill intentioned individuals, dysfunction, corruption of nature, destruction caused by man
Born of a forbid union between a wed woman and a tiger god, Itarah was branded from the beginning as something of a problem. However, the hand of Fate intervined in this and she took into the service of the goddess, Durga. Faithfully she resided in the temple carrying out duties in both of her forms with her brothers, Kenja and Zaala. Due to unfortunate circumstances both she and her brothers perished at the hand of humans, only to be reborn into the present day as her human form, Saleeda. It is unknown where her brothers are at this time.

BRIEF HISTORY
With all of our stories, it begins with our parents. Itarah's father was a tiger god serving the deva (male god/deity) Krishna. His name was Kimikala, the last name of Balakrishna was given to him for being a servant of Krishna( in the Indian culture the name means "of Krishna/servant of Krishna"). Kimikala was devote and faithful to his lord, acting as a vehicle, like many tigers and lions do for the gods. However, on an excursion one day to recieve his offerings from a village he saw a woman by the river. The river was the staple of life for the near by village, and it was not uncommon to see women and men alike fishing its waters, bathing in them, or drinking from them. Kimikala was utterly fascinated by this woman however and descended to her. She was not frightened, she did not run from him. This shocked him and he was bewildered by how bold she was to also not address him as a deity. "Tiger, you stand in my drinking water. Move aside." Were the first words she said to him. Instantly he was smitten with this woman. She was bold, something that many were not, and clearly unafraid to speak of what she wanted. So he did move and went on his way into the jungle to find the village a short way off.

He collected his offerings but asked a question of the village elder. He wanted to know the woman's name, and to know if she was spoken for. Kimikala was crushed to know that she had a husband whom she had just married. The woman's name was Itandra Srivastava, a rather foul tempered thing with a mouth that spoke nothing but hard honest truth. She was a well loved woman by those that were allowed close enough to her, and hated fiercely by those that were kept at arms' length. Kimikala was determined to have her for his own, and so the tiger god ascended back to the palace of his lord. He plead with Krishna for three years straight, refusing to mind the jungle region of the village and bless them with good hunts until he had what he wanted. Such action rewarded him with punishment, seventy lashes and a knotch in the ear. He ceased his begging after that, watching Itandra from a distance. Every time he went to collect offerings he watch her at the river, concealed by the jungle foliage.

Little did Kimikala know was that Itandra knew he was there each and every time. She'd grown used to the tiger god's presence, and even forming an unspoken bond with the striped watcher. One night, Itandra slipped from her husband's bed, wandering deep into the jungle where humans were forbidden to go. It was thick with shadows and hanging vines, a place that was alive in its own right; a place only a god could enter. But she was granted safe passage into this place, and in the small stone temple before his own statue stood Kimikala. His skin was tawny and laced with the same stripes he wore as a tiger, ears long and pointed, body cloaked in heavy gold jewelries and
adorned with a silk weave loincloth. Gold henna on his face, hands, and feet, and of the most odd feature, he had ocean blue eyes. Itandra could not deny the attraction to this handsome creature, and he had never denied his love of her, but he had concealed it. That night they copulated at the base of his temple statue, Kimikala expressing his love for her in truest form and purest act. At dawn she left her beautiful god, and went to the river. None suspected a single thing, knowing how she was early to rise to bathe and wash clothing for her husband and her mother. The months went by and she grew, her husband and all the others of the village thinking the child to be his. Itandra knew not how she was to hide the truth of the baby's appearance, but she prayed that Kimikala would be able to intervene should something go array.

The day Itandra gave birth, it was instantly known that the child was of no blood relation to her husband. A baby girl born with the marks of the tiger god on her forehead, pointed ears, and the strange markings under her eyes. In a rage her husband took the child and went to the river to drown it. Itandra was restrained, screaming for Kimikala to save their child, begging for the god to come to her aid. He did in fact come, a behemoth tiger leaping out of the sky to strike down on the man at the river. He tore him limb from limb and devoured him; flesh and bone alike. The villagers were in a flurried panic, taking shelter and arming themselves as Itandra took the opprotunity to run and collect her child. Kimikala had kept their daughter safe between his great bloody paws. She took the crying babe and tried to quiet her, thanking the tiger over and over again. However, the skies darkened and on the surface of the river did a mist rise. A great lotus blossomed and in its center stood Krishna. He was ashamed of Kimikala and angered, he was also displeased with the woman who was unfaithful to her husband. Both were to be punished accordingly. For the rest of his days, Kimikala was restricted to the form of a tiger and was cursed to forever speak in the tongue of beasts when he came to the human world. Itandra was made barren, and a red brand was placed on her palm to show that she was an unfaithful wife. To punish them both, the child was taken and was to be cast into Hell.

Upon taking his disobedient servant and the child back to the heavens, Krishna was met by his consort Parvarti. She plead with him, convincing him that death was not the answer for the child. She had a greater purpose. Instead she gave her husband a challenge. "If the child can learn the elements from serpents and find favor in a temple, then you must let her live. If she does not, then you may kill her." So Krishna agreed to this, taking the child down into Patala (Underworld, nothing like hell). He spoke to the king of the Naga, telling him of Parvarti's challenge to which did the king agree to let his seven divine rear and tutor the child in the forces of nature. She was taken to a grand temple, surprisingly light and glowing. There were 7 wings in the entire structure, one for each of the seven that resided there. They were all summoned to see the child left in their care, the first to take her being the Naga of Light, Ravi. As she grew she was not the only one in his care. On her fifth birthday, an infant not so different looking from Kimikala's deity form was left with the seven naga. This was her younger half brother, Kenja. After a year's time another infant of the same bloodline was left there, this being the youngest sibling, Zala. In the care of the naga did the sister and her two brothers learn the elements.

When it came time to see, after twenty years, if the child had learned the elements Krishna came gloating. "I have won. I have won! She has failed to find favor in a temple." But before Krishna could speak once more did the sound of a feminine voice echo. "Do not be so hastey, for she has found favor in mine." The goddess Durga, had been watching the child grow and learn and wished to have her. Indeed, Krishna had lost and in disgust he accepted such. Her brothers would finish their teaching with the naga and become servants of Durga as well, joining their sister later. The day she was welcomed into Durga's temple, she was finally given a name. Saleeda Balakrishna, the name to honor her father and one fitting of a daughter from a woman such as Itandra. She was also given another name, one that came with the form she was given by the goddess. This was Itarah or Itaraḥ itaraḥ itaraḥ sura-itarāḥ which means (after transliteration) "The lesser - Different from someone else, other than the demigods." Saleeda was given the position of devadasi. As she progressed in years of service, she was granted benefits such as eternal youth, her secondary form (Itarah), and she was eventually promoted to the head of all the devadasi in the temple.

Songs:
"Maar Daala" by Kavita Krishnamurthy and K.K.
"Shabba Shabba" by Jatin Sharma
"Inner Collision" by audioCrunch feat. Allen
"Dil Gaya" by Omnia

Artwork, Itarah © 2008 P. Lolla (*souls-poison)
Textures from [link]
DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION!!! ARTWORK AND CHARACTER COPYRIGHT P. Lolla (*souls-poison); ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!!! DO NOT STEAL, ALTER, COPY, AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE UNDER PENALTY OF LAW!!!</sup>