The Taj Mahal has three entry/exit gates and one main gate from where we can view the Taj Mahal and say “Wow! Amazing! The western gate, the eastern gate and the southern gate are these three gates of entry and exit. The fourth side of the Taj Mahal has the of river Yamuna (Jamuna). There is an exit gate to move from the Taj Garden towards the forecourt after seeing the Taj Mahal.

Beautifully constructed Taj Mahal is famous for its symmetry and the construction of its vast complex which include the gates of the Taj. These gates are not only for entry and exit to and from the Taj, but they are a part of the Mughal architecture which can be admired and seen.

The Western Gate (Fatehpuri Darwaza): The western gate or the Fatehpuri Darwaza is the common entrance for the Taj Mahal complex. There is huge rush at this gate on Sundays. The entry to this gate takes you to the forecourt from where you can enter the main gate to see the Taj Mahal main mausoleum. Tickets are available at the counter outside this gate on the left hand side along with the locker room. After the security check you can enter the gate and start your tour towards the main mausoleum. There is exit from the western gate which takes you towards the horse-driven and camel driven vehicles. Also you can go to visit the Shah Jahan Park after leaving the Taj Mahal through this gate. Outside this gate there are two tombs. One tomb is of one of the wives of Shah Jahan namely Fatehpuri Begum and tomb is of the friend of Mumtaz Mahal namely Satti-un-Nissa.

The Eastern Gate (Fatehabadi Darwaza): The eastern gate is on the side of the pathway going towards river Yamuna. This gate also has a ticket counter and the locker room. This gate has rush at the time of Taj Mahotsav. The exit from this gate at the time of Taj Mahotsav can take you to the cycle-rickshaws or pollution-free vehicles to drop you at the venue of the Taj Mahotsav. You can also have a walk from this gate towards the Taj Mahotsav since you will find many interesting marble and art shops on the way. The entry from this gate has less rush as compared to the western gates, however, on Sundays and special days such as festivals all the gates have a lot of tourists.
One can enter the eastern gate and stop at the forecourt center to see the main gate. Then the entry into the main gate will give you the special and first glimpse of the Taj Mahal main mausoleum. One can also walk towards the river banks of Yamuna after the exit from this gate.

The Southern Gate (Sidhi or Sirhi Darwaza): The gate towards the south of the Taj Mahal complex is the southern gate which continues towards the Taj Ganj market after exit. This gate is also known as Sidhi or Sirhi Darwaza. This gate lies 2.4 m above the ground elevation of the forecourt (jilaukhana). The entry from this gate also has the ticket counter and the locker room. One can enter this gate after the security check and see the complete forecourt and the main gate exactly at centre. This picture is amazing and can never be forgotten.
Outside this gate after the exit one can find the market from where you can buy the marble replicas of the Taj Mahal main mausoleum as a memorable gift of love for someone. Many people buy the replicas, inlay work plates, Taj Mahal lamps and so on. You can also gift various cosmetics made especially from ivory.

The Main Gate (Darwaza-i Rauza): The main gate or the great gate lies at the center of all the gates towards the north of the forecourt to the Taj garden. It is a large structure with triadic openings. After entering the gate one can find a lantern hanging at the center of the ceiling. It is said that this lantern was a golden lantern, however, at the time of British rule it was replaced with that of iron metal. The lantern has beautiful design towards its base which can be easily seen by the visitors. One can get the first glimpse of the Taj Mahal white marbled mausoleum from the other gate of this building. Standing on this gate one would surely say ,”Wow, amazing!”

The Exit Gate: The exit gate is the one which is used to leave the Taj garden and proceed towards the forecourt. One can see the Taj Mahal main mausoleum and then leave the garden with sweet memories in the mind. This gate is used only for the exit and not for the entrance. The gate for entrance to the Taj garden is the main gate only. The idea behind this might be that those who are entering through the main gate are very eager to see the main mausoleum from the entrance gate, so to avoid disturbance to the new visitors there is a separate exit gate from the Taj garden.

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