[Advaita-l] Doubt regarding recycling of Vilva/bhel leaves for doing Shiva Pooja

[Anand Hudli]

The book Sandeha Nivaranee by V. Rajagopala Ghanapathigal published in
Chennai in 2006 has quoted this:

pankajaM pancharAtraM syAt dasharAtram tu bilvakam|
ekAdashAhaM tulasI naiva paryuShitA bhavet||

Lotus flowers can be stored for five nights (before being used for pUjA),
Bilva leaves ten nights. tulasI for eleven days without becoming stale
(unusable for pUjA).

It also implies flowers other than lotuses should not be stored overnight
and then used the following day in pUjA. They should be used on the same
day as when they are plucked from their respective plants.

Here in India, I guess this is not a problem, because flowers, tulasI, and
bilva leaves are available throughout the year, at least in the major metro
areas. During major festivals, we also get flowers, leaves, and fruits that
are specially to be used for the occasion. For example, I have seen the
droNa puShpa (tuMbe hUvu in Kannada) being available only for the
mahAshivarAtri. Although the droNa puShpa can be used for Shiva pUjA on any
day, it is said to be almost mandatory for the mahAshivarAtri pUjA.

However, the book does not state the source of this saying.

Anand