▁major ▁tour ist ▁att raction ▁ever ▁since ▁its ▁establishment . ▁M als he j ▁G hat ▁a ▁famous ▁tour ist ▁destination ▁in ▁the ▁western ▁gh ats ▁is ▁at ▁a ▁ 4 5 ▁minutes ▁drive ▁away . ▁ ▁G M RT ▁G M RT ▁is ▁operated ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Centre ▁for ▁Radio ▁Ast ro physics , ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁T ata ▁Institute ▁of ▁Fund amental ▁Research , ▁M umb ai . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁it ▁was ▁built , ▁it ▁was ▁world ' s ▁largest ▁inter fer ometric ▁array . ▁And ▁that ▁was ▁the ▁time ▁when ▁first ▁Kh od ad ▁came ▁on ▁world ▁map . ▁ ▁The ▁Site ▁of ▁Gi ant ▁Met rew ave ▁Radio ▁T eles cope ▁( GM RT ) ▁about ▁ 1 0   km ▁east ▁of ▁Nar ay anga on ▁town ▁on ▁the ▁P une - N as ik ▁highway ▁& ▁at ▁ 2   km ▁from ▁Near est ▁village ▁Kh od ad . ▁This ▁site ▁was ▁selected ▁by ▁National ▁Center ▁for ▁Radio ▁Ast ro physics ▁after ▁an ▁extensive ▁search ▁in ▁many ▁parts ▁of ▁India . ▁After ▁considering ▁several ▁important ▁criteria ▁Kh od ad ▁was ▁selected ▁for ▁establish ing ▁this ▁project ▁as ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁T ata ▁Institute ▁of ▁Fund amental ▁Research ▁program . ▁low ▁man - made ▁radio ▁noise , ▁avail ability ▁of ▁good ▁communication , ▁vic inity ▁of ▁industrial , ▁educational ▁and ▁other ▁infrastr ucture ▁and ▁a ▁ge ographical ▁latitude ▁sufficiently ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁geom agnet ic ▁equ ator ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁reason ably ▁quiet