Sabara Srikhetra Temple

Sabara Srikhetra is a Jagannath temple built in 1972 on a hillock about 3,000 feet above sea level in Koraput. The main shrine, Sri Mandira, is ringed by nine smaller temples to other gods and goddesses. The site draws on the traditions of the Sabara tribe: the tribal chief Biswabasu is believed to have served Jagannath and worshipped him in wooden form, and the deity is still honoured here as Daru Brahma.

Its yearly Rath Yatra is second only to the one in Puri, and tribal communities play a central part. A tribal villager is crowned king for the day and performs the chhera panhara, the ritual sweeping of the chariot, before devotees pull it to the Gundicha temple. Groups arrive in traditional dress and offer fruit and other produce they have grown.