About Our Journey

Some flavours never leave us. They simply wait to take us home.

Rooted in a heritage dating to 1959, Thambivilas - Mittai & Karams exists to keep those memories within reach. We bring together beloved regional delicacies from across Tamil Nadu, preserving the character, craftsmanship and sense of place that made each one special.

Our mittai and karams are made fresh in small batches using locally sourced produce and traditional methods. They are then packed with care, so flavours once discovered in temple streets, railway towns, coastal bakeries and family kitchens can travel from our roots to your home.

We are not here to reinvent tradition. We are here to make sure it is never forgotten.

Every pouch carries the flavour of a place. Every box is meant to be opened together. And every bite is an invitation to remember a person, a journey, a festival - or a home you still carry within you.

A legacy that travelled,rested and returned home.

The story of Thambivilas is not a straight line. It is a journey across countries, generations and kitchens - held together by the belief that food can keep us close to where we come from.

1959  Where the story began

In 1959, Veerappa Chettiar founded Vilasam Bakery & Eatery in Singapore. Far from Tamil Nadu, it became a place where familiar flavours could offer something deeply comforting: a sense of home.

That beginning gave our heritage its enduring spirit - make food with honesty, serve it with generosity, and never underestimate the memories a simple taste can carry.

The women who kept the memory alive

The legacy travelled forward through Pattammal, Rukmani Ammal and Hemalatha. It lived not only in dishes, but in the care surrounding them: food prepared patiently, shared freely and remembered long after the plate was empty.

Rukmani Ammal's portrait on our packaging keeps that human story visible. It reminds us that heritage is not an abstract idea. It is made by people, protected in families and passed on through everyday acts of love.

Thambivilas returns

In 2015, Arun Prasanth Bacthavatsalam revived Thambivilas for a new generation. The purpose was larger than bringing back a name. It was about building a home for the regional foods Tamil Nadu remembers - and giving forgotten favourites a meaningful place in modern life.

The revival began with a simple question: what if the tastes we search for when we miss home could be made accessible again, without losing the place, people and emotion that gave them meaning?

TODAY  Tamil Nadu, told through taste

Today, Thambivilas - Mittai & Karams brings together seven distinctive regional favourites: Madurai Thean Mittai, Kovilpatti Kadala Mittai, Tuticorin Cashew Macaroon, Nei Kuchi Mittai, Thengai Paal Murukku, Murukku Mixture and Sattur Kara Sev.

Each begins somewhere real - a temple street, a railway town, a coastal port, a festive kitchen or an afternoon tea table. We make them fresh in small batches, use locally sourced produce and pack them with care so that their stories can travel farther without losing their roots.

TOMORROW  Keeping memory within reach

Our journey now is to preserve more of Tamil Nadu's edible heritage, celebrate the communities behind it and introduce these flavours to people who may be meeting them for the first time.

Because tradition survives only when it continues to be tasted, shared and loved. Our work is to carry it forward - one pouch, one box and one memory at a time.

From a Tamil table in Singapore to homes everywhere, the journey continues. Taste Your Roots.