How were devotees involved in the Chavadi procession and bhajan gatherings?

Devotees were deeply and actively involved in the Chavadi celebrations. As Chapter 37 explains, men and women who held respect for Hari-bhajan would eagerly gather in the assembly hall. They participated by playing various musical instruments, including cymbals, small wooden clappers, the mridanga drum, and tambourines, collectively raising what the text calls a 'storm of bhajan.' The scripture beautifully describes Sai as a 'powerful magnet' who, with the attraction of His own power, would pull the 'iron-like devotees' and draw them unknowingly to His feet, highlighting the powerful, participatory nature of the devotion centered around the Chavadi events.