The Trincomalee Bay, bridged by the Mahavilli Ganga River to the south, the historical Gokarna in Sanskrit, means Cow's Ear, akin to other sites of Siva worship across the Indian subcontinent. Uniquely, Trincomalee is a Pancha Ishwaram, a Paadal Petra Sthalam, a Maha Shakti Peetha and Murugan Tiruppadai of Sri Lanka; its sacred status to the Hindus has led to it being declared Dakshina-Then Kailasam or Mount Kailash of the South and the Rome of the Pagans of the Orient. The harbour is renowned for its large size and security; unlike any other in the Indian Ocean, it is accessible in all weathers to all craft. It has been described as the finest harbour in the world and by the British, the most valuable colonial possession on the globe, as giving to our Indian Empire a security which it had not enjoyed from elsewhere. Popular tourist destinations include its beaches at Uppuveli, Salli and Nilaveli, used for temple visits, surfing, scuba diving, fishing and whale watching, and the Kanniya Hot Springs. Trincomalee is served by a campus of the Eastern University, Sri Lanka and has been the inspiration of both domestic and international poetry, films, music and literature for many centuries.