Holika could not bear to kill the child. So she quietly transferred the magic clothes onto Prahlad and got burnt herself, thus saving Prahlad. Holika attained heaven for her pious act. The ashes of the bone fire is streaked on the forehead of people to bring good luck in the year ahead. In front of the bon fire the neighborhood stars may have songs and dances for fun.
Children roast green gram, potato and other things in the bon fire for their picnic.
The bon fire may be left in its place for several days and then cleaned out. Lord Krishna played Holi with so much gusto that even today the songs sung during Holi are full of the pranks that he played on the Gopis, especially his childhood sweet heart Radhika, who lived in Barsana.