The infamous Bhawal court case captivated India for more than two decades. Raja Mahendra Kumar Chowdhury, well known for his philandering ways and his lavish parties, preferred to spend time drinking with his many mistresses than give attention to his young wife. By 1905 he had contracted syphilis, so his wife and her brother took him to Darjeeling for treatment. He was reported to have died there a short time later. On the day of the cremation, a huge hailstorm interrupted the ceremony and in the night a group of holy men found him unconscious on the funeral pyre. They were able to revive him but he had lost his memory. For the next 10 years he wandered throughout India, until one day, when he reached his old palace, his memory returned. Under pressure from those who saw that he had a striking resemblance to the supposedly dead prince, he was pushed to prove his identity.