Narayani (Nepali: नारायणी अञ्चल Listen (help·info) is one of the fourteen zones of Nepal, in the central south of the country. Narayani Zone is named after the Narayani River which is on the western border of the zone, separating it from the Gandaki and Lumbini zones. Narayani means beloved of Narayan, and Narayan refers to Lord Vishnu (the preserver) in the Hindu religion.