Nabagopal Mitra (Bengali: নবগোপাল মিত্র; 1840– 9 February 1894) was an Indian playwright, poet, essayist, patriot and one of the founding fathers of Hindu nationalism.

Nabagopal Mitra was born into a Bengali Hindu Kayastha family residing at Shankar Ghosh Lane, near Cornwallis Street in Kolkata.

Gradually he became a close associate of Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, the leader of the Adi Brahmo Samaj and Tattwabodhini Sabha.

While Keshab Sen's philosophy was rooted in universalism, Maharshi Debedranath believed in reforms from a nationalist perspective.

[6] At the Hindu Mela, Nabagopal Mitra laid much emphasis on gymnastics, wrestling and other traditional sports.

Mitra, realising the usefulness and necessity of the European equipments, attempted to assimilate them within the Indian tradition.

So, at the National Gymnasium, while the emphasis was more on physical exercises, wrestling, sword fighting and stick wielding, gradually modern equipments like bars and trapeze were introduced.

Mitra even employed a British trainer to train the Bengali Hindu pupils in European style gymnastics.

[7] In 1872, Mitra founded the National School in the premises of the Calcutta Training Academy at 13, Cornwallis Street.

Finally he mortgaged his residence in order to raise money for the National Circus, the pioneer institution that spread the culture of acrobatics, gymnastics and physical culture in India and acted as the precursor to the highly renowned and successful Great Bengal Circus founded by Priyanath Bose.

Ram Chandra Chatterjee, the pioneer balloonist and parachutist began his career as an acrobat at the National Circus.