In mainline Hindu belief each deity has an appropriate or favourite flower that is used during puja, here are some examples:-
Lord Ganesh:- His favourite flower is hibiscus, but really you can use any red flower; you can also use other flowers such as roses, or jasmine or marigolds, as well as various leaves. In Ganesh Puja more than 20 types of flowers and leaves are used.
Lord Shiva:- His appropriate colour is white, the most important flower/fruit/leaf in Shiva Puja is the bael (aegle marmelos, bilvapatra, bel). Other flowers can be offered.
Durga:- Her appropriate colour is red, hibiscus is a suitable flower, you can also offer bael fruit/flower/leaf, or lotus, or jasmine (mogra)
Parvati:- All flowers suitable for Lord Shiva are suitable for Parvati
Lord Vishnu:- His favourite flower is lotus. He is also very fond of tulsi (holy basil) leaves.
Lord Brahma:- His most appropriate flowers are lotus and crepe gardenia (firki tagar)
Surya Devata (God of the Sun):- lotus
with thanks to Lord Ganesh
These are just a few examples, the list is endless, and opinions can differ as to what is appropriate, or favourite. Even in what I have given above, I've only given favourites or "most appropriate" in most cases other flowers/leaves/fruits can also be used, and to know them all and their correct order is really the skill of a Brahmin.
The use of these flowers/leaves/fruits as ornamental or decorative motifs would depend upon how and where used, and by whom.
My area of knowledge is the keris, not Indian weaponry, what I've given above is just a touch of an area of subsidiary knowledge that is required to understand some things connected with keris culture, however, my guess would be that the use of these floral motifs in Indian decorative art probably depends very much upon the wishes of the first owner of the object, and perhaps only he knew the true meaning of the use of the motif, according to his understanding.
Where use of these motifs in an Islamic context is concerned, obviously the interpretation will differ.
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