Mumbai will introduce India's first-ever musical road today, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis scheduled to inaugurate the installation at 12:30 p.m. on the Coastal Road. The stretch features specially tuned rumble strips that play the Oscar‑winning 'Jai Ho' tune from Slumdog Millionaire when vehicles pass over them at speeds of 60 km/h or more. The melody is audible even with car windows closed.
The musical strips have been laid on the north‑bound carriageway between Nariman Point and Worli, approximately 500 metres ahead of the first lane near the central median. Vehicles emerging from the tunnel and travelling at 70–80 km/h will experience the clearest sound effect. To ensure preparedness, the civic body has installed warning signboards at 500, 100 and 60 metres before the musical stretch, allowing motorists to adjust their speed while still inside the tunnel, reported Hindustan Times.
According to senior civic officials, the innovation is inspired by an engineering concept first discovered in Japan in 2007, when engineer Shizuo Shinoda noticed musical sound patterns created by a bulldozer on a grooved road surface. The phenomenon led to the development of 'melody roads,' now found in countries like Japan, South Korea, Hungary and the United Arab Emirates. These musical effects are produced when tyres strike grooves cut at mathematically precise intervals, generating sound waves that match a particular tune.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) selected 'Jai Ho' as the inaugural melody, calling it a tribute to the nation and a tune that evokes 'a feeling of patriotism.' The idea was proposed last month during a meeting between representatives of the Hungarian consulate and civic chief Bhushan Gagrani. Following discussions on feasibility and cost, the BMC commissioned a Hungarian firm to execute the project for Rs 6.21 crore, excluding GST.
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