Ahimsa silk
Silk made without killing the pupa in the cocoon, because the moth is allowed to leave before the silk is spun.
Also: peace silk, non-violent silk
Ordinary mulberry silk is reeled from cocoons that are steamed or boiled to kill the pupa inside, so that the long filament can be unwound whole. Ahimsa silk, from ahimsa, non-violence, is made differently. The moth is allowed to emerge from the cocoon, and the broken cocoon is spun into yarn. Eri silk is made this way by nature. The name is also linked to Kusuma Rajaiah of Andhra Pradesh, who developed methods of making it from mulberry cocoons. The cloth is less glossy and more textured than reeled silk. The term is used a little loosely in the trade, so a buyer may ask exactly how it was made.