Balbir Singh, who demolished Babri mosque, returned as Mohammed Aamir and built 90 mosques

Armed with pickaxes, he and other kar sevaks who gathered from across the country dealt destructive blows to the dome, celebrating as it came down.

In his hometown of Panipat, Balbir received a hero’s welcome when he returned. But there was at least one family that did not participate in the celebration - his father Daulat Ram, a school teacher who was an ardent follower of Mahatma Gandhi, and the others in the family were visibly disappointed over the turn of events, and ever more so by Balbir taking part in it.

It shocked him. The more he thought about it, the guiltier he felt, he recalled later. Driven by pangs of guilt, Balbir finally decided to make amends. Born in a Rajput family, he converted to Islam and assumed the name Mohammed Aamir.

He was not alone. His friend Yogendra Pal, who was with him in taking the vow to construct Ram temple on the disputed land at Ayodhya, joined Balbir in converting to Islam. He now goes by the name Mohammed Umar. The friends now took a new pledge - to renovate and construct 100 mosques as penance for thie sins.

Several years on, Amir and his wife are running a school to spread the teachings of Islam. Along with Umar, they also travel across the country building and protecting mosques as they had vowed. So far, they have taken care of 90 mosques.