Dussehra Ghat

A small working ghat presses right against the Taj Mahal's eastern wall, and in the morning people come down to it for puja at the Hanuman, Shiva and Dauji shrines while the marble platform looms overhead. At sunrise it is nearly empty: probably the closest crowd-free look at the monument and at its reflection in the Yamuna, with boatmen sometimes offering a short ride when the water is high enough. It costs nothing. Take the lane past the East Gate, and since this is the Taj perimeter, carry ID and expect a security check.

Morning puja in the Taj's shadow: the monument as a neighbourhood, not a ticket queue