In August 1951, a son was born to the wife of Sri Brijlal Varshnay in Chhatta whom they named Prakash. As an infant Prakash was noted to cry much more than other children, but otherwise he showed no unusual behavior until the age of about four and a half. At that time he began waking up in the middle of the night and running out of the house to the street. When stopped, he would say he "belonged" in Kosi Kalan, that his name was Nirmal, and that he wanted to go to his old home. He said his father was Bholanath. He woke up and started to run away like this four or five nights in a row and then somewhat less frequently, but continuing to do so for a month altogether. He importuned his family to take him to Kosi Kalan so strongly that one day in 1956 (in the hope of quieting him) his paternal uncle took him on a bus going away from Kosi Kalan, i.e., in the direction of Mathura. Prakash, however, immediately pointed out the error and cried to go to Kosi Kalan. His uncle then put him in the correct bus and took him to Kosi Kalan. He went to the shop of Sri Bholanath Jain, but did not recognize Sri Jain's shop, perhaps because the shop was closed at the time due to Sri Jain's absence. And for this reason also he did not meet the Jain family during that visit. The Jain family did learn, however, of his visit to Kosi Kalan. (my emphasis)

At this time, in 1956, when he was about five years old, Prakash's apparent memories of life as Nirmal were extremely vivid. He recalled the names of Nirmal's relatives and friends which on his second visit to Kosi Kalan five years later he no longer remembered. After returning from Kosi Kalan the first time, he continued to trouble his family with his desire to return there. They adopted various measures in an effort to make him forget about Nirmal and Kosi Kalan. These included turning him counter-clockwise on a potter's wheel, supposedly to impair his memory, and eventually they beat him. After some time he seemed to forget, or at least no longer spoke openly of his wish to return to Kosi Kalan.

In the spring of 1961, one of Sri Bholanath Jain's younger sons, Jagdish (older brother of Nirmal), lost by death one of his sons, a boy of three and a half. Sri Jagdish Jain shortly afterwards moved back to Kosi Kalan from Delhi, where he had been living. In Kosi Kalan he heard about the boy in Chhatta who said his name was Nirmal and that he was the son of Bholanath Jain. In the early summer of 1961, Sri Bholanath Jain was in Chhatta on business with his daughter Memo. There he met Prakash, who recognized him as his "father". Prakash also partially recognized Memo, mistaking her for another sister of Nirmal named Vimla. He begged Sri Bholanath Jain to take him to Kosi Kalan. He went down to the bus station as Sri Jain and Memo were leaving and pleaded to go with them. Some days later, Nirmal's mother, older sister Tara, and brother Devendra visited Prakash in Chhatta. Prakash wept with joy when he saw Nirmal's older sister Tara. He begged his father to take him to Kosi Kalan. The Jain family persuaded Prakash's parents to consent to his visiting Kosi Kalan again. Prakash led the way from the bus station to the home of the Jains in Kosi Kalan. Arrived there, he hesitated at the entrance, which had been radically altered since the death of Nirmal. At the house, Prakash recognized Nirmal's older brother, two aunts, and some neighbors, as well as various parts of the house where Nirmal had lived and died.
excerpt from "Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation," by Dr. Ian Stevenson, pp. 20-21

(note that on pages 24-30 Dr. Stevenson carefully lists 34 recognitions made by Prakash, together with the informant(s), i.e., who it was that told Stevenson, whether the recognition was verified, and any clarifying comments.)

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