Naba Gopal Mitra was a Bengali playwright and poet. He founded several institutions which promulgated the spirit of self help, self-reliance and promoted Indian art and culture. Some of these institutions were National School, National Gymnasium, National Circus, National Theatre and the Hindu Mela (also known as National or Jatiya Mela). Since the names of these institutions bore the prefix national’, Naba Gopal came to be known as National Mitra.