Ahimsa silk, the peace silk: what it is and how it is made

There is a moment, in the life of silk, when everything can go one of two ways. The cocoon is closed, and inside it a life is transforming. That transformation can be stopped, or one can wait. Ahimsa silk is born from those who choose to wait: the moth is allowed to come out, open its wings and fly away, and only then is the empty cocoon collected. That is why it is called peace silk.

🦋 What Ahimsa silk is

Ahimsa is a Sanskrit word that means non violence. Ahimsa silk, or peace silk, is a silk obtained without killing the silkworm: the cocoons are collected only after the moth has come out, completing its life cycle.

In the most common production, instead, the cocoons are placed in boiling water or steam before the moth emerges, because that way the thread stays long and intact. In Ahimsa silk the cocoon is already open, the thread is broken, and so it cannot be reeled: it is spun by hand, as is done with wool or cotton. From this gesture a different fabric is born, soft, warm, with a living texture and a delicate light.

It is worth saying honestly: it is not a vegan silk, because it is still born from the work of a small creature. It is a silk that respects its life.

🕊️ The Ahimsa philosophy, from India to the world

Ahimsa is one of the oldest principles of Indian thought. It is at the heart of Jainism, runs through Hinduism and Buddhism, and is the first of the moral commitments of yoga: to do no harm to any living being, in actions, in words and even in thoughts. In ancient times it applied to people, to animals, to plants, to every form of life.

It was above all Mahatma Gandhi who made it known to the world, turning it into a force capable of changing history. Gandhi spun cotton every day at his charkha, the hand spinning wheel, and that simple gesture became the symbol of a free and dignified India. Martin Luther King and the nonviolent struggles for civil rights drew inspiration from his teaching, and later so did Marshall Rosenberg's Nonviolent Communication. Today many people encounter it through yoga and meditation.

🧵 How peace silk was born

Silk has a very long history. According to tradition it was born in China almost five thousand years ago, and in India it was for centuries the fabric of temples, ceremonies and royal courts. Always precious, always desired.

The name "Ahimsa silk", on the other hand, is recent. In the nineties a handloom expert from southern India, Kusuma Rajaiah, wondered whether it was possible to obtain silk without harming the silkworms. He worked on it for years, perfected his method and in 2006 obtained a patent. But India already had a silk that naturally lends itself to this respect: Eri silk, whose cocoon is open and lets the moth come out.

🌿 Eri and Tussar: Malini's two peace silks

Eri silk comes from Assam, in northeast India. Its name comes from "era", the Assamese word for the castor plant, because the silkworm that produces it feeds on its leaves. The cocoon is open on one side and the moth comes out by itself, with no need to break it. The fibers are spun by hand and become a soft, warm fabric, almost cotton-like, with a discreet sheen. In 2024 Assam's Eri silk received its geographical indication, the recognition that protects its origin.

Tussar silk is a wild silk born in the forests of central and eastern India, such as those of Jharkhand. Its silkworms live outdoors, on arjun, asan and sal trees, and are raised above all by tribal communities, often led by women. It has a natural golden color, like honey, and a slightly rough texture that gives it character: that is why we also call it raw silk.

✨ How it feels on the skin

Those who wear it for the first time are surprised: peace silk is warm and light at the same time. It caresses the skin without slipping away, warms on cool days and breathes when the sun comes back. That is why our Ahimsa silk stoles and shawls accompany three seasons, spring, autumn and winter.

Caring for it takes just a little attention: gentle dry cleaning, without starch or other products, and a soft fold in the drawer, away from direct light.

🤲 Our commitment

At Malini we wanted to tell the Ahimsa philosophy through fashion. Every peace silk scarf is spun, woven and hand printed with wooden blocks by Indian artisans. Every stage is done by hand, and the small imperfections left by the fingers of those who work it are the signature of a human touch: they give the fabric a soul.

If you want to know more about the fibers we choose, we tell you about the importance of natural fibers.

💛 Malini's Ahimsa silk scarves

Our Eri Ahimsa silk stoles (55 x 190 cm) and our Tussar Ahimsa silk shawls (90 x 230 cm) are unique pieces, in 100% pure silk, with vivid colors and hand-made prints. You will find them together with all the others in our collection of scarves and shawls, with free shipping to Europe and the United States.

Wearing peace silk is a small daily gesture of kindness. Towards those who created it, towards nature, and towards yourself.