Haridwar, July 12 (IANS): Men should gift a tree to their sisters to mark Raksha Bandhan to make a positive contribution to the eco-system, a spiritual group based here says.

The Gayatri Parivar said in a statement that Raksha Bandhan -- which this year falls on August 29 -- was a sacred day when brothers formally express their love for their sisters.

It said the festival should be used to "gift a tree to your sister ... as a legacy for the future".

The group said it also encouraged people to plant trees and saplings to mark birthdays and weddings.

Gayatri Parivar, which is based in the sprawling Shantikunj complex here, also said that it routinely distributed plants and saplings as "prasad" to devotees.

"This concept cannot be adequately expressed, but it has been a successful programme and widely disperses the significance of a plant," it said.

"We believe that there is a dire need for relentless movement of sustainable tree plantation which would bring the change in eco-system," it added.