St. James and the Yamuna- William Dalrymple's writing made me want to see St. James church north of the old city center.  It was built (1826-1836) in thanksgiving for surviving a military campaign by James Skinner, son of an Englishman and a noble Indian woman, who never was fully accepted by the British despite his brilliant military skills.  It lies, a lovely peaceful green oasis, in the midst of the Kashmiri Gate quarter which is dark and greasy with hundreds of motor parts shops.  The church and grounds were officially closed to visitors on Sunday afternoons but our tuktuk driver persuaded the gate keeper that we were harmless and we were able to enter.  I particularly enjoyed the gatekeeper's spare trousers drying on the strategically placed bush.

On our way home I asked if we could drive past the river as I haven't seen much of it.  It is hard to believe that a month ago this railway bridge was almost under water.  The monsoon changes the nature of the rivers drastically.  This picture only hints at the amount of garbage in the river.  As the rivers are venerated many things are dipped into it and dispatched into it and the last round of festivals caused logjams of floating images in several places.  I am not sure I could be persuaded to put a toe in the Yamuna.