From Pokhara we enter the Kali Gandaki, the deepest gorge on earth, and come to Galeshwor. This is sacred ground in its own right, and the place where the river first reveals its character as the bearer of the Shaligram.
Here the scholarship of the yatra comes forward. The story of the corridor, the meaning of the Shaligram, and the place of Galeshwor in the wider sacred geography are read and explained at the ground itself, where scripture becomes something you can stand inside rather than only read.
The day carries the spirit of tapas, of discipline and quiet attention, as the journey turns from the green foothills toward the high, austere country above.