KARACHI, May 15: The number of visitors to Koocha-i-Saqafat, which was held for the first time on May 8, registered a sharp rise on Sunday evening as people flocked to M.R. Kayani Road to have a family outing, browsing through books, looking at art works on display and sampling tasty food.

The Koocha-i-Saqafat was organized by the Arts Council of Pakistan in collaboration with the Sindh government. The Koocha-i-Saqafat committee of the Arts Council, led by chairman Saifur Rahman Grami, some time back called on the Sindh governor, Dr Ishratul Ibad, who promised to provide funds for the running of the cultural precinct.

A street drama festival organized by the Arts Council on the sidelines of Koocha-i-Saqafat turned out to be a real crowd-puller. Furniture made from teak and onyx paperweights also attracted a large number of visitors.

But it was the art section of Koocha-i-Saqafat that buzzed with real activity. A sign at the gate of the art section reads: “Aao rang bharain.”

“Previously good art was beyond the reach of most middle-class families,” said a man who held in his arms a painting he had purchased there. “Going to art galleries always filled me with remorse, because most paintings that tickled my fancy were exorbitantly priced. But here one does not have to pay for galleries’ commission. One can buy directly from an artist — as I just did,” he explained, beaming.

The book section of the Koocha-i-Saqafat was more crowded than the last time because some booksellers who previously took their wares to the Frere Hall put up their stalls on M.R. Kayani Road. “I still have a stall at the Frere Hall despite the fact that the number of visitors has dropped to such an extent that I don’t even break even. But I have brought the best of my collection here,” he said, pointing to many dog-eared tomes that sat on his stall.

The chairman of the Koocha-i-Saqafat committee of the Arts Council, Saifur Rahman Grami, said he had just received a call from an artisan in Sanghar. “He wants to display his handicrafts here. I told him that he was most welcome to display his artworks here.”