How did the devotees participate in the Chavadi celebrations, and what was Sai Baba's effect on them?

Devotees played a central and energetic role in the Chavadi celebrations. Chapter 37 explains that men and women with respect for Hari-bhajan would gather, some with cymbals, some with drums like the mridanga, and some with bells, raising a 'storm of bhajan.' The text beautifully describes Sai Baba as a 'powerful magnet,' whose attraction would pull the 'iron-like devotees' and draw them unknowingly to His feet. This illustrates that their participation was not just a performance but a deep, magnetic pull of devotion inspired by Baba's very presence.