If I were a devotee in the early days, what challenges might I have faced in trying to worship Maharaj, and how did this practice eventually become open to everyone?

In the early days, getting permission to worship Maharaj was not straightforward because he was initially reluctant to be worshipped. Chapter 0 illustrates this challenge by describing how Maharaj reacted with anger when Sitaram Dengle of Nimgaon came for worship, although he ultimately allowed him to finish. The first person to be granted this privilege was Mhalasapati. The practice only became widely accepted and open to everyone after Maharaj peacefully allowed Nanasaheb Chandorkar's younger son, Bapu, to perform worship. Therefore, an early devotee would have needed patience and the right circumstances to receive permission for this form of devotion.