The two galleries which are now complete and already receiving limited visitors include those devoted to the 1999 Kargil conflict and ancient Indian martial history and heritage.

The inauguration is scheduled by the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, in March, when he is also expected to attend a seminar on post-retirement rehabilitation of ex-servicemen at the same venue.

The ancient history gallery depicts the Indian martial culture from the time of the Mahabharata. Besides murals, paintings and scrolls, an interesting feature incorporated in this gallery is "talking" mannequins. A number of mannequins dressed up as soldiers from various eras have been placed in the gallery. On the touch of a button, these give out the history and other information pertaining to their respective time.

The Kargil gallery highlights the battles fought by the Indian Army about six years ago in one of the toughest terrain anywhere. Pictures or the war front, historical narratives as well as some of the weapons used in the war are displayed in this gallery. Those decorated for gallantry during the conflict also find a prominent mention. Efforts are also on to procure weapons and items captured from the enemy during the war.

Named after Punjab's legendry ruler, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the museum was conceived with a view to preserving the rich military history of the region and to document the gallant deeds of soldiers, airmen and sailors from Punjab. The museum would also serve as a source of motivation for future generations.

The government spent about Rs 4 crore on acquiring four acres on the Ludhiana-Jalandhar highway and another Rs 2 crore were spent on constructing a building. Recently, the Punjab Government gave a grant of Rs 60 lakh for the museum. Some donations have also been received for various other sources.

After being conceived, the project remained in the doldrums for several years, with little progress being made. It was only about four years ago that the project got a fresh impetus.

Besides the two galleries, a number of war trophies, including tanks, armoured personnel carriers and artillery guns, have been displayed in the compound. An airframe of the Su-7 aircraft and a model of INS Vikrant have also been displayed. A number of vintage guns also form a part of the museum's collection.

The other galleries which are in the process of coming up include a uniforms gallery, a heroes' gallery, post-Independence(1947-65) gallery and a gallery devoted exclusively to the 1971 Indo-Pak war.