1. Selection and fetching of the tree.
In the Khond or Dumal village the ritual is not regularly performed, but only when necessary. The goddess herself in a dream indicates to her priest (Dehuri) the direction where the tree (Rohini or Maula) is to be found. The tree be straight and strong, without birds nests or previous cuttings. After having been worshipped, by the sacrifice of a goat, the tree is cut. The first stroke is usually performed by the priest and it must fall towards north, but possibly not touch the earth. Another sacrifice is offered, the tree is freed from the branches, covered with a new cloth and brought to the village. On its way the tree should not touch the earth, if this is inevitable, for instance when crossing a river, a sacrifice has to be performed.

In Puri the region where to find the tree is indicated by the goddess Mangala at Kakatpur in a dream to the chief Daita priest. The tree than is spotted, accordingly to the same marks as just mentioned with the addition that the tree for Jagannatha has to bear at least two signs of Visnu, as cakra and conch, the tree for Balabadra must have a white bark and the sign of the plough etc. The Daitas construct huts near the trees which are called Savara Kutira and considered to be an aboriginal village. The tree is worshipped for three days at the end of which the representation of an animal - a watermelon with four inserted sticks - is symbolically sacrificed. Then the Brahminical and the chief Daita priest respectively perform the first strokes, the tree falls towards north, is freed from branches, covered with a new cloth, put on a specially constructed cart and pulled to Puri without touching the soil.

2. The carving of the figures.
After having arrived in the village a last sacrifice is performed and the log is put in a specially constructed hut. The carpenters only may enter it, they have to sleep there to take specially prepared food only once a day, and to maintain a state of ritual purity. In some places they even have to cover their mouth with a piece of cloth while at work. In Puri the logs are as well once more worshipped and then brought to a special mandapa within the temple compound where only the Daitas and the carpenters may enter. The carpenters begin their work, observing strictest ritual purity, never leave the temple and cover their mouth while at work.

3. The Consercration
On some of the examples on tribal level I found, there already is a two fold ritual of consecration which signalizes the first faint trace of Hinduisation within tribal religions. In some of the places Brahman is summoned often from quite a distant place to give the pratistha mantra to the post. Naturally in most of the cases no special mantra pertaining to the tribal goddess does exist. Therefore, mostly the mantra of Vana Durga is given, the first step of the incorporation into Hinduism. Besides this brahmanical act which is very ephemera-there is another consecration, done by the tribal priest. It consists of giving pieces of five metals - gold, solver, brass, bronze, bellmetal - in the cleaned hold where the post is to be erected. In addition there is often one, or even three golden nails inserted into the pole, one always at the place of heart.

In Puri the two fold character of the consecration is still manifest. The brahmanical side of it is highly elaborate. To brahmins during 13 days consecrate one piece of wood cut from the logs, parts of this piece are reinserted into the four figures after they have received their 'heart' the Brahma Padartha, which is transferred from the old to the new figures. This is done by the chief Brahmanic priests and by the daitas. Nobody knows what the Brahma Padartha actually contains. It is in a closed casket which in the dead of the night, when every else except the chief brahmins and Daitas has left the temple compound is taken out of the old, dismantled figures by the chief Brahmin, who has wrapped hands and tied eyes and inserted into the new ones, who are by that act only consecrated.

4. The disposal of the old figures.
In many tribal villages the act of pulling out the old poles is considered to be very dangerous and the man who does it, which is not always the priest, receives an extra reward. While the new poles are set up the old ones are just put besides only after the normal sacrificial feast, which stars immediately after the new poles are disposed of: they are usually drowned in a river, sometimes buried. The persons who do so have afterwards to purify themselves. In Puri the old figures are brought out of the main temple by the daitas immediately after having lost their Brahma Padartha, and buried in the burial ground of the temple. Afterwards the daitas have to observe mourning for their relative for ten days, after which there is a general feast for all temple priests.

5. The painting of the figures.
Only then the fifth stage of the ritual begins, which is performed in Puri only. The painting of the figures. Curiously enough there are no further rituals linked with this act, no further consecration is performed, as one should expect, when the figures are actually completed immediately after the painting the ratha yata starts without further formalities. Seen within the whole of the Navakalevara ritual, the painting looks like a sort of afterthought, which most probably it is. I think the basic conformity of the tribal and the Puri ritual need no further explanation.