The Garuda Purana is one of the 18 Puranas composed by Ved Vyasa in order to explain Vedic principles. It was in a forest called Naimisha, where the narration happened for the first time. In the story, Vyasa says that the Garuda Purana was narrated by Vishnu to Garuda to explain what happens after death, hence the name Garuda Purana.

It basically has two parts, the first is called the Purva Khanda and the second is called the Preta Khanda. The Purva Khanda is a generic Purana, which has details related to matters of faith, pilgrimage, temple-building, ethical living and also information regarding gems and astrology.