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Sabara Srikhetra – Jagannath temple in Koraput – Observes Nabakalebara only if there are remnants of Holy Neem tree at Puri Jagannath Temple

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Nabakalebara, change of murtis, worshipped in Puri Jagannath Temple is taking place in this year. Neem trees are selected and cut for making the new murtis. Sabara Srikhetra, Jagannath temple in Koraput, too observes Nabakalebara but only if there are leftover Daru (holy neem tree) of the Trinity at Puri. 
The New Indian Express reports 
The last Nabakalebara in Sabara Srikhetra was observed in 1971 when the remnants of the Daru used for preparing the idol of Lord Balabhadra at Puri temple were used for making all the three idols here. 
Sources in the temple management said in 1969 Nabakalebara, after preparation of new idol of Lord Balabhadra at Puri temple, some timber was left. The then members of Sabara Srikhetra management urged the SJTA and Puri Gajapati Maharaj to donate the leftover Daru to make the three idols for Koraput Jagannath temple. The then SJTA agreed and the remnants of Balabhadra Daru were taken to Koraput with which the three idols were made in Sabara Srikhetra in 1971. 
Since then, Nabakalebara has not been observed in the Koraput Jagannath temple. 
Priest of Sabara Srikhetra, Gada Moharana informed that the temple has been depending on Jagannath temple at Puri for Daru as it is difficult to find holy Neem tree in the region with all the divine symbols as per the Nabakalebara manual. 
“As no Daru was available from Puri temple in 1996, Nabakalebara was not observed here,” he said. The priest added that the three deities at Sabara Srikhetra would only get new bodies from the leftover Daru of the Trinity at Puri. “We have urged the SJTA to give us some leftover Daru after construction of idols of the Trinity in June,” he added. 
The Rath Yatra at Sabara Srikhetra is linked to the ‘Saura’ tribe who worship Lord Jagannath as their presiding deity. 
Legend has it that a ‘Saura’ tribal chief Biswabasu, who served Lord Jagannath, worshipped Him in a wooden form. Even to this day, the wooden form of the Lord worshipped by Biswabasu finds place in the village temples of Laxmipur, Boipariguda, Narayanpatna, Pottangi, Gunupur, Bissam Cuttack, Nandapur, Kotia and Semiliguda.