What was life like for Sai Baba before he started living permanently in the transformed mosque?

Before the mosque was paved and became a center for devotees, Sai Baba lived for a long time in a Takia, which is a resting place for Fakirs. Chapter 5 describes this period as a time when he remained largely undisturbed. While at the Takia, he would engage in devotional practices that included tying bells to his feet, dancing beautifully, and singing sweetly with love to the rhythm of a small tambourine, also known as a khanjiri. This was prior to the new phase that began around 1912.