Finish up your drink, and look across the square. Just to the north of the Batsala Temple, in front Bhupatindra¹s pillar, is the Golden Gate (Lun Dhwakha ) [Q], the entrance to the 55-Window Palace [R]. Most of the 55-Window Palace was destroyed in the earthquake of 1934, but some pieces of old Malla architecture are still visible. The palace was built by King Bhupatindra Malla, and the gate by his son, King Jaya Ranjit Malla.

     Currently, this is the entrance to the royal temple of Taleju, the ruling goddess of Nepal. In medieval times, it was also the gate to the royal court. Through the gate to your right, still in the first courtyard, you can see the windows to a Rana period building. During the Rana period, this was the seat of the local governor and today it houses the municipality. Further back beyond the first wall is the center for national offices and the Bhaktapur district offices.