(Nabagopal Mitra)

Nabagopal Mitra founded the National Press, National Paper, National Society, National School, National Theatre, National Store, National Gymnasium and National Circus making the term ‘National’ popular in British India.

(Rajnarayan Basu inaugurated the Hindu Mela in 1867)

Nabagopal Mitra (1840-1894) an Indian poet, playwright, patriot and essayist was born into a Bengali Hindu Kayastha family in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Nabahopal Mitra is considered as one of the founding fathers of Hindu nationalism and he founded the Hindu Mela (a pioneer institution of Hindu nationalism). Hindu Mela was inaugurated by Rajnarayan Basu an Indian writer.

(crafts at the Hindu Mela)

Nabagopal Mitra earned the nickname of ‘National Mitra’ after founding the National Press, National Paper, National Society, National School, National Theatre, National Store, National Gymnasium and National Circus. Nabagopal Mitra was a student of the Hindu School and members of the Tagore family Ganendranath Tagore and Satyendranath Tagore were his classmates. Nabagopal Mitra was closely associated with the leader of Adi Brahmo Samaj, Maharshi Debendranath Tagore.

(crafts at Hindu Mela)

National Paper an English weekly were started in 1865. The paper was financed by Maharshi Debendranath Tagore. Nabagopal Mitra was the chief editor of the paper and made grammatical mistakes without correcting them by giving an explanation that English was not his mother tongue. Hindu Mela and the National Society was founded in the year 1866 after the publication of an article named ‘Prospectus of a Society for the Promotion of National Feeling among the Educated Natives of Bengal‘. The article was written by Rajnarayan Basu. In the year 1868, National Gymnasium was founded by Nabagopal Mitra at his own residence. National School was founded in the year 1872 in the premises of the Calcutta Training Academy at 13, Cornwallis Street. In the same year, National Theatre was founded. The first play ‘Nidarpan’ was staged at the National Theatre on 7th December 1873. National Circus was founded in June 1881 at 10-2, Cornwallis Street, Kolkata.